Colorado approves return to Big 12: Buffaloes set to depart Pac-12 in 2024
Written by quietmoneyradio_admin on July 27, 2023
Colorado has decided to return to the Big 12 at the start of the 2024-25 athletic season. The University of Colorado Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to move the Buffaloes out the Pac-12 and back to the conference they helped found in 1996. This after Big 12 university presidents Wednesday night voted unanimously to approve membership for Colorado should it formally apply, sources told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.
The next step in the process is for CU to submit a pair of official letters, one to the Pac-12 noting their withdrawal from the league on July 1, 2024, and another to the Big 12 requesting admission to the conference on the same date.
“After careful thought and consideration, it was determined that a switch in conference would give CU Boulder the stability, resources, and exposure necessary for long-term future success in a college athletics environment that is constantly evolving,” said Colorado chancellor Philip DiStefano and athletic director Rick George in a joint statement.
“The Big 12’s national reach across three time zones as well as our shared creative vision for the future we feel makes it an excellent fit for CU Boulder, our students, faculty, and alumni. These decisions are never easy and we’ve valued our 12 years as proud members of the Pac-12 Conference. We look forward to achieving new goals while embarking on this exciting next era as members of the Big 12 Conference.”
“They’re back,” said Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, alluding to the two-word statement made by Michael Jordan upon returning to the Chicago Bulls in 1995.
The Buffaloes had long been considered a priority expansion target for the Big 12, which held “substantive” talks with Colorado earlier this offseason, multiple sources told Dodd in May. This despite CU publicly saying it desired to remain in the Pac-12 and would not make any decisions until a Pac-12 media rights deal could be reviewed by conference members.
CBS Sports learned Wednesday that interest between the parties increased in recent days. The Buffaloes are the only addition the Big 12 is making to its league at this time, sources tell CBS Sports, though that could change as conference realignment continues to shake out.
George refuted the idea of moving to the Big 12 both in May and again in July. Just last week at the 2023 Pac-12 Media Day, league commissioner George Kliavkoff was firm in stating that the league would remain together.
“Our schools are committed to each other and to the Pac-12,” Kliavkoff said. “We’ll get our media rights deal done; we’ll announce the deal. I think the realignment that’s going on in college athletics will come to an end for this cycle. The truth is we’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
Joining the Big Six conference in 1947 and remaining with the expanded league for a span of 63 years, CU was a founding member of the Big 12 in 1996 and remained in the conference until it departed for the Pac-12 ahead of the 2011 season. At the time, many were surprised Colorado left for the Pac-12 at all given its history affiliated with the Big 12.
