Arizona
Big 12 debut brings new academic and travel hurdles for ASU, Arizona athletes – The Gila Herald
File photo by William Wilson/Cronkite News: As Arizona State transitions to the Big 12, logistical challenges loom for the equipment staff, with longer drives to games, some even on the East Coast.
By Joshua Heron/Cronkite News
LAS VEGAS – University of Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu plans to rely more heavily on his counselor this year. The prudent approach stems from the increased travel responsibility he will endure this upcoming college football season and the possible academic challenges that may arise.
Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of Utah and the University of Colorado will make their Big 12 Conference debut this upcoming football season. As a result, schools like Arizona and ASU now face more frequent travel outside the West Coast, including games against teams as far as the University of Central Florida.
The shift to new time zones brings challenges such as altered assignment submission deadlines and possibly reduced cognitive function among players due to jet lag. These factors generate concern about the athletes’ ability to maintain full focus on their education.
“Yeah, there might be some challenges academically,” Manu said Wednesday. “Just being so busy with football and having to travel with different time changes might be difficult.”
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark acknowledged the potential difficulties that more traveling may cause on an athlete’s academic pursuits and plans to set parameters to ensure their education remains paramount.
“Student-athletes travel, and inconveniences and the challenges that come with it are certainly something that we are considering,” Yormark said. “When you look at our scheduling matrix, it’s a big part of it. How do we reduce travel in ways we can and maintain the right rivalries and competitive spirit of the conference? It’s a balancing act. We are not always going to be perfect but we are trying to make sure that that is a key component in any decision we are making.”
Arizona is scheduled next season for a road game against the University of Central Florida, which is more than 2,100 miles from Tucson by equipment truck and one of three matchups way from the West Coast. First-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan trusts his school’s staff to assist students when academic struggles may arise due to travel.
“We have incredible academic support,” Brennan said. “And as a coaching staff, we are very serious about supporting the academic mission of our university.”
While ASU won’t travel to Florida, the Sun Devils travel outside the West Coast five times this upcoming season compared to zero last year. They will play on the road against Texas Tech, Texas State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State.
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini says preparation before travel is critical to ensure players can focus on their schoolwork, adding that the adjustment for the university won’t be difficult, but instead, “different than what we’re used to.” He says the distance traveled doesn’t change but acknowledges the time zone shift and believes the onus to take care of the athletes rests not only on the coaching staff.
“We’re tapping into our sports medicine team, our sports performance team, our nutrition team,” Rossini said. “And there are things that we can do ahead of a trip to make sure that we’re focused on peak performance and recovery, knowing that their student-athletes have demands on their time and academic expectations.”
Rossini recognizes the importance of asking practical questions when traveling across time zones to guarantee the players meet their academic expectations.
“And so how we travel, the time that we leave. Do we need to add an extra day on the particular road trips, depending on where we’re traveling? All that enters the conversations as we know that traveling the Big 12 will be a little bit different,” Rossini said. “And so, looking at all that, what do we do for meals pre-trip, on the trip, when we land? How do we find a responsible way to get into decent times so everybody gets a good night’s rest and is prepared to go compete?
Rossini added that the athletics department must be “mindful” of the students’ classroom expectations by ensuring they’ve got “space in the hotels” to complete exams and attend classes if needed.
“The student athlete’s well-being and experience are very much front and center of how we make decisions,” Rossini said.
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit focused on spreading the importance of academics among amateur football players. NFF chief operating officer Matthew Sign places the onus on each university to provide necessary markers for students to thrive academically but maintains confidence in the schools’ collective plan.
“For the most part, especially as you move up the ladder, those schools do a really good job of trying to prepare the young men for what’s going to happen,” Sign said. “From what we see and what we hear … they’re all working on this, and I think they all have a good plan for it. Is it going to be difficult? Yes. But everyone’s just going to have to adapt.”
ASU defensive back Xavion Alford believes the time difference presents a new academic obstacle for athletes, but his advice to all players is simple: “Don’t procrastinate.”
“You (athletes) know you have practice from Thursdays on. It kind of gets real in the week,” Alford said. “Take care of your work on the weekends before, like Sundays, use days like that. Use the beginning of the week to knock out your work so you can focus on just the game throughout the end of the week.”
For Alford, business is business no matter the zone, and no matter if it’s on the field or in the classroom.
“There’s time differences everywhere, you still got to get the job done,” he said. “We just got to prepare as much as we can for the time zone, but at the end of the day, we still have a job to do.”
Arizona
Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for May 22, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Friday, May 22, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers
03-22-34-54-61, Mega Ball: 08
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers
6-3-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
02-23-28-38-39
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
01-02-15-16-38-41
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Arizona
Arizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #50: 5/22 vs. Rockies
Arizona
1st rule if you’re in Arizona’s bear country: Keep food out of reach
Bears make a run for the wild as they are released by authorities
A bear sow and her two cubs were caught rummaging through garbage in a residential garage in Crown King, Arizona.
Smokey Bear will not just be watching for fires this Memorial Day. He might be watching for food, too.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is warning outdoor recreationists to stay “bear aware” through the long weekend.
Food is the most common culprit of human-bear conflicts, according to the wildlife agency. Bears can show up to campsites, parks, even grocery stores in search of something tasty — they’ll eat just about anything in pursuit of the 5,000 calories they need a day during the summer, officials say.
“Bears are dangerous. They might look cute or cuddly, but they certainly have the capacity to inflict harm on humans,” said Paul Greer, a wildlife manager supervisor at the Game and Fish Department’s Region 1 office in Pinetop, in a May 20 news release.
But black bears are also shy and secretive. Available human food can lure them out of their forested hideaways, especially during dry periods like late spring, early summer and Arizona’s prolonged drought, which limit their natural food supply.
This Memorial Day weekend, revelers should be mindful of not leaving any food outdoors. That includes trash, barbecue grills, pet food and birdseed.
“If humans do their part, then the bears may pass through without getting the reward of those attractants, the trash and the human sources of food — the bears will just move on,” Greer said.
Bears learn to hunt for human food
Each March, black bears emerge from their winter hibernation, sometimes with new cubs in tow.
About 5,800 roam across 10,000 square miles of nontribal lands in Arizona, mostly in the northern and eastern parts of the state where the Sonoran Desert gives way to pinyon pine, juniper and oak woodlands. They are most concentrated along the Mogollon Rim, the Mazatzal Mountains and the Pinaleño Mountains.
Bears are usually active in the morning and evening, foraging for their usual fare — berries and nuts. But a few develop a taste for something more. It’s rare for bears to show aggression toward people, but bears that become accustomed to humans and human food can be public safety risks.
“When bears gain access to human food or garbage, it can quickly lead to food conditioning, where bears begin associating people and developed areas with an easy meal,” said Sarah Sparhawk, a public affairs specialist at the National Park Service.
There have been two deadly bear attacks on humans in Arizona since the 1990s. The most recent was in 2023 in Prescott.
Michael Colaianni, a public affairs director at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said apart from a few typical reports of bears spotted on private land, there are no recent bear incidents or injuries in Arizona to report at this time.
Here’s how to stay safe from bears
Bear safety tips to keep in mind this weekend:
- Keep food secure and inaccessible to bears.
- When camping, don’t keep food in a tent and don’t burn leftover food on a grill.
- When hiking, don’t wear scented lotion or perfume, keep pets on a leash and make noise or hike in groups.
- In case of a black bear encounter, do not run or play dead. Instead, back slowly away while maintaining eye contact. Make yourself look bigger by waving your arms in the air or pulling your shirt/jacket up over your head.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If you see a bear in your neighborhood, do not approach it.
Unacceptable bear behavior, such as entering or attempting to enter human dwellings, tents or vehicles, approaching a human after it becomes aware of the human’s presence and any other aggressive behavior should be reported to the Game and Fish Department’s dispatch center at 623-236-7201. In an emergency, call 911.
Sarah Henry covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to sarah.henry@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram.
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