Big 12 Reportedly Meeting to Discuss Expansion While Colorado Weighs Big 12 Move

Rumors surrounding a Colorado move to the Big 12 are heating up

After a year of rumors and speculated conference realignment, Colorado is seriously weighing a move to the Big 12. A decision could be made as early as this week. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday that "Colorado is in discussions about a move to the Big 12, and the school has just completed a board meeting and scheduled another for tomorrow to discuss the move. The Big 12 is also holding a presidents meeting tonight where there's expected to be an expansion update."

Sources: Colorado is in discussions about a move to the Big 12, and the school has just completed a board meeting and scheduled another for tomorrow to discuss the move. The Big 12 is also holding a presidents meeting tonight where there's expected to be an expansion update.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 26, 2023

This report comes just one week after Pac-12 Media days where Colorado AD Rick George declined to take questions from the media. At the same Pac-12 Media Days, Pac-12 commission George Kliavkoff said he was not concerned about the threat of Pac-12 schools leaving for the Big 12.

According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, the meeting on Thursday is to "discuss and approve" a move to the Big 12. He also reports that the deal is 98% done.

Colorado has scheduled a Board of Regents meeting for a 2nd consecutive day for Thursday, where the Buffs are expected to discuss & approve a move to the Big 12, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. "It's 98 percent," source told @ActionNetworkHQ. Colorado has yet to apply for Big 12…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 26, 2023

The Big 12 was first linked to 'Four Corner Schools' (Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah) back in July of 2022 after USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. It was also linked to Oregon and Washington. Big 12 expansion rumors cooled temporarily last Fall while Pac-12 schools waited to see figures from its new media rights deal. Those rumors heated back up in recent months, however, since the Pac-12 is still without a new deal after a year of negotiating.

A Colorado move to the Big 12 would obviously create more instability in the Pac-12. The Big 12 hasn't been shy about its interest in Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. Could the Colorado move create a domino effect and cause more Pac-12 schools to jump to the Big 12? Or would the Pac-12 respond by adding San Diego State for stability?

Until the Pac-12 signs a new media deal, its remaining schools are candidates to jump to the Big 12. If the proposed Pac-12 falls flat, multiple Pac-12 schools could jump to the Big 12.

Additionally, the Colorado addition would give BYU a nearby conference peer. In the current conference, BYU is multiple states away from its nearest conference foe.

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