Arrr! Colorado be leavin' Pac-12 to sail back to the Big 12 come the year 2024-2025. Avast, mateys!
2023-07-27
Arrr, me hearties! Avast ye! The landlubbers from Colorado, known as the Buffaloes, be settin' sail from the treacherous waters of the Pac-12 conference come the end of the 2023-2024 school year. They be 'eadin' back to the Big 12 conference, as announced on Thursday. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Conference realignment in college athletics continues to make waves, as the Colorado Buffaloes announce their departure from the Pac-12 conference and their return to the Big 12 in the 2024-2025 academic year. In a joint statement, Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Athletic Director Rick George explain that the switch in conference will provide CU Boulder with the stability, resources, and exposure needed for long-term success in a constantly evolving college sports environment. The Colorado Board of Regents unanimously approved the resolution, paving the way for the Buffaloes to join the Big 12.The move is a blow to the Pac-12, which will also lose USC and UCLA to the Big Ten conference in 2024. Meanwhile, the Big 12 continues to expand, with the recent addition of UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, and BYU. Commissioner Brett Yormark had expressed openness to further expansion, although ideally he would like to keep the conference at 14 teams.
For Colorado, the move comes at a time when their football program is gaining attention with the hiring of Deion Sanders as head coach. Sanders has been actively building the roster through the transfer portal, adding 50 players according to the On3 Transfer Portal rankings.
Overall, conference realignment is shaking up the college sports landscape, with teams seeking the best fit and opportunities for success. The Big 12's national reach and shared vision make it an attractive choice for CU Boulder, as they look to achieve new goals and embark on an exciting new era in the Big 12 Conference.