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Inside the home of Robert Thomas is a replica Stanley Cup sitting on a desk. It’s a conversation piece, a reminder of career accomplishments and something his guests inevitably drink out of during house parties.

“I mean, it’s only like a good half sip,” Thomas said, laughing. “But it’ll do the job.”

Thomas lifted the actual Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues. He was a rookie then. He’s an NHL All-Star now. He admits that the championship feels “forever ago” to him.

“I was pretty lucky my first year. So I was kind of going into every year thinking I’ll be in the Cup Final or winning it all. And now, a couple of years later, we haven’t gotten close,” he said. “I’m just itching to get another chance at it.”

He was a 19-year-old supporting player who skated 13:07 per game in the Blues’ Stanley Cup run. Now in his sixth season, Thomas is the leading scorer for St. Louis with 69 points in 62 games, playing 20:53 on average.

His general manager, Doug Armstrong, said there’s “no question” Thomas is a No. 1 center in the NHL. Armstrong followed through on that praise by giving Thomas an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8.125 million in July 2022.

This is the first year of that $65 million contract. Armstrong has called it an investment in Thomas’ future; and like any investment, he wants to see it mature. Before the season, Armstrong said he wanted to see Thomas go from being an offensive standout to a complete NHL center.

“It’s the 200-foot game,” the GM said. “It’s a tough task. You’re going against [Auston] Matthews. You’re going against [Sidney] Crosby. You’re going against [Anze] Kopitar. His job is not only to play with those guys, but to outcompete them and outperform them. But the belief in Robert has never been higher that he’s ready for that challenge.”

Thomas accepted the challenge.

“I put a big emphasis on it this summer. Improving the 200-foot game. And I knew I was gonna be matched up against top lines all year long. If I didn’t work on that side of it, then we wouldn’t be doing too well,” he said. “I feel like I’ve taken a big step defensively, but obviously there’s always room to grow.”

The results have been impressive. Through 62 games, the Blues have a goals-against average of 1.93 at 5-on-5 when Thomas is on the ice, the best rate for any St. Louis player with at last 30 games played. He’s starting to get mentioned in Selke Trophy conversations.

“Since I’ve been here, he’s been an outstanding player for us. He sees some real tough minutes and he seems to be thriving on it,” Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. “The offensive side comes easy to him. The defensive side, for any skilled hockey player, that’s the one thing that lags a little bit. But with Robbie, we’re starting to see him really mature into a good two-way hockey player here.”

Thomas’ commitment to defense started with self-reflection about who he is as an NHL player. He’s been a top scorer for the Blues over the past three seasons and is on track for the highest points-per-60 minutes average of his career (3.2). But he’s not Connor McDavid or Crosby or Nathan MacKinnon as a scorer. And he’s OK with that.

“I wouldn’t say I’m an offensive guy that’s one of the top [scorers] in the league. There are guys that can just make so many more plays and score and use their speed and different things than me,” Thomas said. “So you look at different ways to kind of get better. For me, it was defensively.”

To find that defensive game, he studied and learned from some accomplished two-way centers, taking parts of their games to build his own.

As a fan and an opponent, he admired former Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews, who was a Selke Trophy winner and a four-time finalist in his career. As a teammate, he learned plenty from Ryan O’Reilly, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with the Blues. As a student, he’s worked with Hockey Hall of Famer and skills coach to the stars Adam Oates, who has also helped players ranging from MacKinnon to Matthew Tkachuk.

“There’s a lot of information out there, especially from guys that have played or are currently playing and everyone’s so happy to share their knowledge,” Thomas said. “You just kind of soak in as much as you can and try and find different pieces that work. Things like stick positioning from one guy, or the way you should turn to find guys coming into the zone from another guy. All that stuff.”

Is he ever surprised how many trade secrets veteran players are willing to share?

“Not at all. That’s what hockey’s about. It’s always about helping guys out. Older guys help the younger guys and younger guys help each other,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been in the league a little bit longer, so guys are coming to me for advice. And I’m like, ‘I don’t have the answers.’ So it’s kind of funny.”

But ultimately, the decision to fine-tune his defense has everything to do with success on the ice. As Armstrong said, Thomas is competing against some of the most elite offensive centers in hockey on a nightly basis. He has been tasked with outplaying them. Thomas takes that role seriously, even when the challenge is daunting.

“We had McDavid a couple of days after he had six points against Detroit. And I was like, ‘Try and stop that?'” recalled Thomas, who watched McDavid post three assists against the Blues. “But those guys were big parts of [my motivation]. I definitely need to get a lot better in order to compete with those guys.”

Thomas would love to compete against them in the postseason, but those hopes are fading. Entering Wednesday night, the Blues trailed for the final wild-card slot by six points and had just a 5% chance of making the playoffs, per Stathletes. The Blues have won a single playoff round since winning the Cup and missed the playoffs last season.

“Last year, we weren’t in the hunt at all, and it sucked. So I’m really happy this year just being in these pressure situations,” Thomas said. “There’s definitely emotional swings. That’s why we play the game. We love pressure, we love to compete.”

Few are competing harder, in both ends of the rink, than Robert Thomas this season.

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Suit accusing BYU QB Retzlaff of rape dismissed

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Suit accusing BYU QB Retzlaff of rape dismissed

A civil lawsuit accusing BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of rape has been dismissed, according to court records.

The parties jointly agreed to dismiss with prejudice, ending the case which was filed last month. None of the parties was immediately available for comment.

Retzlaff now plans to transfer from BYU as he faces a possible seven-game suspension for violating the school’s honor code by admitting to premarital sex during the legal proceedings, sources told ESPN. He has begun informing staff and teammates of his intention to leave, sources said.

Retzlaff had been working out with the squad and participating in summer workouts and practices. The team is on break until July 7.

The BYU staff has been ramping up the preparation of the three backup quarterbacks — McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier — in anticipation that Retzlaff might not be available.

The woman alleged Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her in November 2023. In a response to that lawsuit filed Friday, a lawyer representing Retzlaff denied those allegations but said Retzlaff had consensual sex with the woman.

The response indicated Retzlaff and the woman traded lighthearted text messages for months after the encounter and characterized the lawsuit as an extortion attempt based on the idea that Retzlaff developed into an NFL prospect roughly a year later.

The lawsuit described the encounter much differently.

Both the complaint and the response agree that Retzlaff and the woman connected through social media, which led to her visiting Retzlaff’s apartment to play video games on or around Nov. 22, 2023. The woman arrived with a friend, and friends and teammates of Retzlaff also were present.

Later that evening, the woman’s friend left, after which Retzlaff and the woman started watching a movie and began to kiss, the lawsuit states. While “Retzlaff began escalating the situation,” the suit says, “Jane Doe A.G. tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying ‘wait.’ She did not want to do anything sexual with him.”

The lawsuit says the woman told Retzlaff “no” and “wait, stop,” but he continued to force himself on her. After she tried to get up out of the bed, the lawsuit alleges, in graphic detail, that Retzlaff put his hands around her neck and proceeded to rape her.

A few days later, the woman visited a hospital, where a rape kit was performed and pictures of her injuries were taken. The lawsuit says she was connected with Provo, Utah, police but did not initially share Retzlaff’s name.

No criminal charges have been filed against Retzlaff.

After the lawsuit was filed, BYU issued a statement, saying: “The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.”

Retzlaff is not the first high-profile BYU athlete who faced a lengthy suspension for an honor code violation related to premarital sex. In 2011, basketball player Brandon Davies was dismissed from the team — which at the time was 27-2 and ranked No. 3 in the country — and suspended from school. He was reinstated that fall. In 1999, running back Reno Mahe was suspended from school and forced to leave the football team. He transferred to a junior college and later reenrolled at BYU.

Retzlaff, who has graduated from BYU, is expected to enter his name in the transfer portal in the coming days. He started 13 games for the Cougars in 2024, his first year as the starter, leading the team to an 11-2 record. He passed for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

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Pac-12 welcomes Texas St. ahead of ’26 relaunch

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Pac-12 welcomes Texas St. ahead of '26 relaunch

Texas State has officially joined the Pac-12, the conference announced Monday, becoming the league’s ninth member ahead of its relaunch in 2026.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind.”

Texas State’s board of regents voted to authorize a $5 million buyout to the Sun Belt Conference early Monday. The Bobcats will remain in the Sun Belt through the 2025-26 season before joining the Pac-12 in all sports for the 2026-27 school year.

The Pac-12 needed to reach eight football-playing schools to meet the NCAA minimum for an FBS conference prior to the 2026 season.

The conference’s board of directors, which includes representatives from all current and future members, voted unanimously to admit Texas State following the university’s formal application. Texas State joins Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State and Washington State as members of the rebuilt league.

Texas State president Kelly Damphousse called the move “a historic moment” for the university.

“Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move — it is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence, and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country,” Damphousse said.

Athletic director Don Coryell echoed that sentiment, calling the opportunity “a new era” for Texas State, which has been in the Sun Belt since 2013 after making its FBS debut with one season in the WAC in 2012.

“This historic moment belongs to our coaches, staff, student-athletes, fans, alumni and students,” Coryell said. “As the Pac-12’s flagship school in Texas, we proudly embrace the opportunity and responsibility that comes with it.”

The long-awaited announcement comes on the heels of the Pac-12’s announcement last week that it had finalized a five-year agreement with CBS for a portion of the conference’s football and men’s basketball media rights, including both sports’ championship game. Additional media partners are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Texas State is located in San Marcos, which is only about 35 miles south of the University of Texas in Austin. Texas State has more than 40,000 students, with one of the 25 largest undergraduate enrollments among public universities in the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Alabama lands top 3 OLB Griffin for 2026 class

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Alabama lands top 3 OLB Griffin for 2026 class

Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class landed another significant late-June recruiting boost Saturday when four-star defender Xavier Griffin, ESPN’s No. 3 outside linebacker, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide over Florida State, Ohio State and Texas.

Griffin, a versatile, 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect from Gainesville, Georgia, is the No. 30 overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300. A former longtime USC commit, Griffin took official visits with each of his finalists in June. He now stands as the top-ranked prospect among 14 commits in Alabama’s incoming class, joining days after the program secured top 300 pledges from running back Ezavier Crowell (No. 31 overall) and tight end Mack Sutter (No. 138) on Thursday night.

Griffin told ESPN that the Crimson Tide’s pedigree and vision laid out by Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson were driving factors in his decision.

“Growing up, just seeing them, all the draft picks and stuff that they’ve had — all the guys they’ve put in the league — it speaks for itself,” Griffin said. “They have history and they’re really clear about what they’re trying to build with this new staff.”

A physical defender capable of dropping into coverage, Griffin has cemented his status as one the nation’s top linebackers at Gainesville (Georgia) High School, where he’s recorded 97 total tackles and 21 sacks across his sophomore and junior seasons.

He initially committed to USC last July and remained one of the Trojans’ top prospects over next 10 months before Griffin pulled his pledge from the program on May 14. Sources told ESPN at the time that Griffin’s decommitment stemmed from his intention to schedule official visits with programs this spring, bucking against USC’s policy against committed players taking official trips to other campuses.

Upon reopening his recruitment, Griffin locked in official visits with Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Texas for this month, closing with a trip to the Crimson Tide from June 20-22. Despite his lengthy USC pledge, Griffin told ESPN that no program recruited him more actively than Alabama across the past two years, led by Robinson, the program’s second-year assistant.

“He’s been one of the most consistent with me throughout my whole process,” Griffin said. “He’s just a really, really good guy.”

The highest-ranked of seven ESPN 300 pledges bound for Alabama in 2026, Griffin now leads an increasingly talented Crimson Tide defensive class forming in the current cycle.

Alongside Griffin, Alabama holds commitments from top-10 cornerbacks Jorden Edmonds (No. 38 overall) and Zyan Gibson (No. 65) in 2026. Defensive end Jamarion Matthews, Griffin’s teammate at Gainesville High School and ESPN’s No. 92 overall recruit, has been pledged to the Crimson Tide since February, and Alabama’s latest defensive class could get even deeper over the next month as priority targets including top-60 prospects Jireh Edwards, Anthony Jones and Nolan Wilson approach the final stages of their recruiting processes.

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