Arizona will be joining the Big 12
According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, it is just a matter of time before the Wildcats become the second Pac-12 team in the last week to bolt for the Big 12.
Thamel said, “Arizona is in deep discussions about joining the Big 12, sources told ESPN, with a deal expected to be finalized in the near future.”
The Arizona Board of Regents met on Thursday night to discuss the possible transition and Big 12 Presidents met on Thursday as well, showing that a deal and clarity on the move seems imminent.
Arizona would join Colorado as the pair of Pac-12 teams to join the Big 12 in the last week. This would also put the Big 12 at 14 members starting next year as Oklahoma and Texas are set to leave for the SEC following the 2023-2024 year. This would also continue expansion westward which is what Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has tried to continue to accomplish.
BYU was one of four expansion teams to join the conference this past summer, and they are the furthest point west in the conference. Adding Arizona would give the Big 12 more of a footprint in the western part of the country as the Big Ten is adding UCLA and USC.
