Ever since news broke that USC and UCLA were heading for the Big Ten in 2024, it’s felt as though the Pac-12 has stood on shaky ground. Now, it appears that foundation has eroded even further.
Barely more than a decade since it left the Big 12 for the Pac-12, Colorado will return to the Big 12 in 2024, the school announced Thursday.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors reportedly voted unanimously to accept Colorado as a new member of the Big 12 during a conference call on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the school’s board of regents held a meeting and unanimously voted upon a resolution, approving the move.
“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,” Chancellor Phillip DiStefano and athletic director Rick George said 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.
OFFICIAL: Colorado is heading back to the Big 12 Conference 🦬
— Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) July 27, 2023
ℹ️» https://t.co/p2XuTLdDWX#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/M3w4yA9zsp
Brett McMurphy of the Action Network reports that the school will make its return to the league in 2024, and receive a full membership revenue share of $31.7 million from the conference’s television deals with ESPN and Fox.
Colorado was one of the founding members of the Big 12 back in 1996. In 2011, the Buffaloes were one of two schools to leave the league along with Nebraska, which joined the Big Ten. In the 12 football seasons as members of the Pac-12, the Buffaloes had losing records in 10 of them, including eight years that resulted in two or fewer conference victories.
