College football expansion: 1 Pac-12 school to watch for Big 12 move, per report

There's one Pac-12 school to watch for in the next phase of college football expansion

College football expansion and conference realignment hit pause after two major moves involving the SEC — with Texas and Oklahoma heading to that league — and the Big Ten — as USC and UCLA are set to move there — and now the Big 12 is looking for opportunities to make a move itself, especially on the West Coast.

And as the Pac-12 looks to ink a new media deal, there's still speculation that the conference could lose members if the price isn't right.

Colorado is now a team to watch for a potential jump from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 in the near future, according to The New York Post.

This isn't the first time Colorado has been connected to the Big 12 after insiders reported the conference had reached out to the school this offseason, in addition to the other "Four Corners" schools: Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State.

Where things stand in the Pac-12

Reports have emerged that the Pac-12 could have a deal in place by the late spring or early summer with the CW Network the current favorite to host many of the league's games.

And, judging by the comments of the heads of the two Arizona-based schools, how much that deal pays will have a major influence on whether the conference will be able to keep its remaining membership after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.

Losing those two premier brands, both based in the extremely valuable Los Angeles media market, cut severely into the Pac-12's value in the eyes of media partners and has exposed its existing members to interest from competitor conferences, especially the Big 12, itself looking to expand after losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.

Colorado an up-and-comer

Colorado was a member of the Big 12 from 1996 to 2010, with seven of those years resulting in winning seasons. 

Before then, CU was a member of the Big Eight dating back to 1948, playing its best football in the late 1980s under Bill McCartney and winning the college football national championship in the 1990 season.

The school has just one winning campaign since joining the Pac-12, when the Buffaloes went 10-4 in 2016.

Now Colorado is the subject of major media attention starting this offseason when it hired Deion Sanders to lead the program as head coach.

Since then, the Buffaloes have sold out their spring football game, which will air on ESPN, has attracted major talent in the transfer portal, and has enjoyed a serious increase in general interest.

Big 12 in pursuit

The Big 12 has been public in its attempt to expand to the West Coast and increase its exposure in the Pacific media markets.

Reports connected the Big 12's interest to the two Arizona schools in addition to Utah and Colorado, the latter a former Big 12 member.

Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff took public issue with the Big 12's incursion into its territory, accusing that league of "trying to destabilize our remaining conference."

The heads of the two Arizona schools have denied any interest in joining the Big 12, but their remarks have given the impression that their remaining in the Pac-12 was highly dependent on that league getting a good deal.

Big Ten also interested?

And it's not just the Big 12 that has been moving in.

Representatives from Oregon and Washington have already been in contact with Big Ten decision makers about a potential merger, though none of these interests have materialized into any formal offers as of yet.

Stanford has also figured into the Big Ten's speculated interest given the school's international academic prestige, its media market not just in the Bay Area but nationally, and its devoted sports following.

More on college football expansion

Big 12 exploring "every possibility" in expansion

Coach thinks Pac-12 could collapse

Big 12 contacts four Pac-12 schools

Two schools respond to Big 12 interest

Pac-12 schools reacts to Big 12 rumors

(Post)

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