Colorado will rejoin the Big 12 in 2024 after both the board of regents and the conference directors voted unanimously to approve the move. The Buffaloes originally joined the Big 12 in 1948 when the conference was named the Big Eight. They remained in the conference when it became the Big 12 in 1996. However, they left to join the Pac-12 in 2011. However, the school was been one of the worst performers since joining the conference. They have gone 48-94 over the past 13 seasons, and 27-76 in Pac-12. Furthermore, they have had just two winning seasons, including the six-game 2020 pandemic-shortened season. Those two winning seasons amounted to a pair of losses in the Alamo Bowl.
"The time has come for us to change conferences," Colorado president Todd Saliman told the board of regents on Thursday afternoon. "We see this as a way to create more opportunity for the University of Colorado, for our students and our student-athletes. And [to] create a path forward for us in the future." "Let me state up front that this move was not just based on money or finances," Colorado athletic director Rick George added. "A decision this big has a lot more to do than just money." George, along with Chancellor Phil DiStefano emphasized their desire for stability. Furthermore, they highlighted the draw of competing in three different time zones and the national exposure they'll get from televised games on ESPN and Fox.
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Colorado Exit Is Another Nail In The Pac-12's Coffin
The thing that went unsaid at Colorado's board meeting was the perception of the Pac-12. The conference is now viewed as a dead conference walking. The trigger was the bombshell announcement that USC and UCLA would be leaving for the Big 10. That news sent shockwaves across the college athletics landscape. With those cornerstones leaving, and Deion Sanders clearly looking for bigger things after taking over at Colorado, it became a question of when, not if, more schools would seek to leave.
The uncertain future of the Pac-12 has been caused by the conference's inability to secure a new TV rights deal. The current deal expires at the end of the 2023-24 season. However, the conference has been unable to reach an agreement with most major broadcasters. That uncertain revenue stream, plus the total removal of the LA market, has severely downgraded the conference's reputation. Additionally, the uncertainty has meant that it has been hard for the conference to find prestigious schools willing to fill the gaps left by USC, UCLA, and Colorado.
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