Tucson (KVOA) – After weeks of speculation, it’s finally official.
Arizona leaves Pac-12 to join Big 12.
The days of the Wildcats are over. Since 1978 he has participated in the Pac-12 (formerly Pac-10). His 45-year run, once called the ‘Conference of Champions’, will come to an end in his 2024.
Arizona has announced it will leave the Pac-12 and move to the Big 12 in 2024. KVOA’s Jenna Fink explains what the move means for the Wildcats and the Pac-12.
Arizona State University and Utah will also join the Big 12.
Arizona President Robert Robbins issued a statement shortly after the announcement, saying the move to the Big 12 would continue to boost the university’s profile.
While all this was being prepared, Arizona Football held its first padded practice of fall camp on Friday. It was normal for the Wildcats to prepare for the start of the 2023 season, which will be their final race in the Pac-12. Before the news broke, head coach Jed Fish said it was great to see the Wildcats in the spotlight.
“You can’t open an article without seeing Arizona’s helmet, you can’t read anything on social media, you can’t see anything on ESPN,” he said. “It shows that our brand is growing. Things are getting better. More people are talking about us, more people are talking about what’s happening I would like to know if the
Arizona is in a much better position than Pac-12 right now. After a busy day with news of conference realignment, it seems the Pac-12 as we know it is over.
Colorado, UCLA and USC previously announced they would pull out as the conference’s media rights contracts expire in 2024. On Friday, Washington and Oregon announced they were leaving the Pac-12 and moving to the Big 10. Hours later, Arizona, ASU, and Utah also announced they were pulling out of Pac-12. was also gone.
That leaves four teams: Cal Barkley, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State.
How did you get here?
It becomes a matter of money. More specifically, how much money the school makes from the conference’s media rights deal. The Pac-12’s contract expires after this academic year. As Coach Fish said at Media Day, running an exercise program costs money. He stressed the importance of stability to ensure Arizona’s future success. The Big 12 would give it to the Wildcats.
The college sports world is approaching a superconference. Starting next year, the Big 12 and SEC will both be 16 schools, and the Big 10 will be his 18. Fish said the new face of collegiate athletics will give athletes new opportunities.
“Everything is new,” he said. “This is just new ground in college football. I love it. I love the fact that everything is going to be better for the players. These kids are going to play for a team they’ve never played for. They will see things they have never seen before. “
Arizona’s move to the Big 12 means a whole new group of opponents to the conference. The Big 12 currently consists of Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech University, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas. However, the Sooners and Longhorns will leave the SEC in 2024.
The ASU-Arizona confrontation is going nowhere, but perhaps a new and exciting rivalry could form. This is especially true in basketball, which has powerhouses like Kansas, Baylor and Houston.
Another thing to consider when moving is travel. West Virginia University is 3,407 miles from A University. Currently, the furthest team from Arizona is Washington State University at 2,336 miles. Increased travel will soon become the new reality for Arizona and the college athletics community at large.
