According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the University of Colorado are in discussions to leave the Pac-12 and return to the Big 12 after leaving in 2011.
“Colorado is in discussions about a move to the Big 12, and the school had just completed a board meeting and scheduled another for tomorrow to discuss the move,” said Thamel. “The Big 12 is also holding a presidents meeting tonight where there’s expected to be an update.”
The chatter of Colorado moving to the Big 12 has been going on for quite some time, with discussion starting to heat up in the Spring and more recently following the Pac 12’s media days event.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark commented on a potential expansion in June after a conference expansion meeting at Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs, WV.
“We have some guiding principles when we think about expansion,” said Yormark. “It’s all strategic here. At the top is the academic alignment. And the leadership. And the cultural fit. And the geography. And the athletic performance. And the upside that a potential institution has as they potentially join the Big 12. We think about all those things as a collective group and we discussed all those guiding principles this week.”
Should Colorado decide to leave the Pac-12, they would exit following the end of 2023-2024 season, coinciding with the end of the Pac-12 television deal. This would allow the school to leave without having to pay any exit fees.
