College Football Expansion: 2 Schools Respond to Big 12 Interest

The two Arizona schools are downplaying their reported role as the Big 12 looks to pursue further football expansion

Reports have swirled recently that the Big 12 was hoping to attract four Pac-12 members for the next potential phase of college football realignment.

Now two of those schools have gone on the record about the idea.

School presidents from Arizona and Arizona State appear to have spurned interest from the Big 12 in their first public statements on the subject.

Arizona State responds

"There have been no discussions with the Big 12 Conference on moving," Arizona State president Michael Crow told The State Press.

"I mean, there's been discussions between everyone everywhere on all things related to where our conference is going and where stuff's going to end up and what's happening. We are committed to the Pac-12."

Related: College Football Expansion: Which Schools Could Move Next

What Arizona said

UA president Robert Robbins said Pac-12 schools including Arizona will not leave the conference to join the Big 12 before being presented with a new media proposal.

"It's heavily dependent on [Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff] and his team negotiating a good media deal for us to stay competitive," he said, via San Jose Mercury News.

He added, "I don't think anybody wants to leave. Why would you move for a couple million dollars a year more?"

Where the Pac-12 stands

The interest from the Big 12 comes as that conference has been public with its interest in expanding to the West Coast.

And while the Pac-12, the last remaining conference to not have a media rights deal in place, is working to create one without success up to now.

CBS and Fox have reportedly departed the negotiations while Amazon and Apple TV+ have emerged as potential streaming partners, even if their actual level of interest remains unknown.

And judging by the statements by these schools, how that process eventually looks could have a direct effect on their future membership in the league.

Big 12, Big Ten reportedly 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."

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.

More: Former coach fears Pac-12 could collapse

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