Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports says the Big 12 has already approved the University of Arizona for membership in the league. If the school chooses to leave the Pac-12, they will have a home alongside another former conference member in Colorado.
Big 12 executives met Thursday to approve the application of Arizona as a 14th member, sources tell @YahooSports, paving the way for the Wildcats to enter the conference. It is another step in UA’s path to join. The final step would be approval from its Board of Regents.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
The question now becomes does the Arizona Board of Regents ask that both the Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils be permitted to join to keep both the flagship institutions of the state together? The BoR met in executive session again on Thursday to continue hearing legal opinions on a potential exit.
Decisions from Big 12 expansion targets Arizona State and Utah have not progressed as quickly as Arizona, but they remain viable options for the league and a conclusion is expected in a matter of days, sources tell @YahooSports.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 4, 2023
Sources: Big 12-Arizona marriage “not there yet” but parties are “hopeful” that it can be consummated. Board of Regents, which went into executive session earlier this evening, will play a role.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 4, 2023
This comes in the wake of a future media rights presentation from Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff that underwhelmed the league’s membership. With UCLA and USC on their way to the Big Ten after the 2023-24 season, the remaining schools were offered in the low $20 million per year range by Apple for a streaming product. Utah is also rumored to be considering making the leap to the Texas-based league.
Oregon and Washington are also in contact with the Big Ten about possibly joining UCLA and USC in the cross-country league.
The remaining schools in what could become the Pac-4 very soon, Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, and Washington State, are likely looking at expansion or merger options as well.