Arizona expected to join Colorado in Big 12, per sources

Wildcats and Buffs head out of the Pac-12 starting next year

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado won't be alone in conference migration next year. Arizona is saying goodbye to the Pac-12 and is expected to finalize a deal to join the Big 12 conference, according to sources.

The process of realignment is said to be in the final stage with the Arizona Board of Regents meeting late Thursday night to vote on the matter. A deal between Arizona and the Big 12 brings the total number of schools back to fourteen, and also replaces Texas and Oklahoma, who'll be SEC bound next year. The Big 12 executive board approved UA's move into the conference on Thursday as well. Arizona has called the Pac-12 home since 1978.

With Colorado and Arizona exiting, the Pac-12 will need to make up a lot of ground in a short amount of time. USC and UCLA are headed for the Big Ten after this year, leaving eight teams hanging in the balance of turmoil. It also removes any ties to Southern California for the Pac-12, who has relied heavily on an overdrawn presence in the nation's No. 2 media market.

Gary Barnett says Colorado couldn't afford to keep leaving money on the table in Pac-12

The Big Ten also hasn't been shy about wanting to poach Oregon and Washington away from the Pac-12. The conference's two top money makers have shown loyalty thus far, but how long can it last?

A reason why Colorado and Arizona are moving out is due to a subscription-based streaming media rights deal with Apple TV. While CU wasn't sticking around to see what happens next in the Pac-12, Arizona took time to process the deal and came to the same conclusion. The biggest question is which schools will be headed to the Pac-12 and how it will impact the deal with Apple's current offer?

Arizona State and Utah will now be the focus in the coming days. The future of both schools will be key to where the Pac-12 goes from here.