Both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University will join the Big 12 Conference, per Pete Thamel. These in-state rivals, along with Utah, follow Colorado in a sudden mass exodus from the league. These moves now brings the Big 12’s future membership up to 16 and the Pac-12’s membership down to four with Oregon and Washington leaving for the Big Ten.
Since securing a new media rights deal with ESPN and Fox last October, the Big 12 has been in a favorable position for further expansion and several reports suggested them targeting Pac-12 institutions. The “four corner” schools of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah were among the top targets for potential expansion and speculation only increased as the Pac-12’s own media rights negotiations dragged out. Once Colorado finally decided to leave for the Big 12 last week, the Arizona schools were cited as the next big dominos to fall and that was further exacerbated by the Arizona Board of Regents holding a special meeting on Tuesday.
Today’s mass exodus of schools now puts the Pac-12 on virtual life support with now over half of its membership leaving within the past year. This fatal blow has left just Cal, Oregon State, Stanford, and Washington State as the remaining members of the league.