Colorado has decided to return to the Big 12 at the start of the 2024-25 athletic season. The University of Colorado Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to move the Buffaloes out the Pac-12 and back the conference they helped found in 1996. This after the Big 12’s university presidents Wednesday night voted unanimously to approve membership for Colorado should it formally apply, sources close to the process told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.
The next step in the process is for CU to submit a pair of official letters, one to the Pac-12 noting their withdrawal from the league on July 1, 2024, and another to the Big 12 requesting admission to the conference on the same date.
“After careful thought and consideration, it was determined that a switch in conference would give CU Boulder the stability, resources, and exposure necessary for long-term future success in a college athletics environment that is constantly evolving,” said Colorado chancellor Philip DiStefano and athletic director Rick George in a joint statement.
“The Big 12’s national reach across three time zones as well as our shared creative vision for the future we feel makes it an excellent fit for CU Boulder, our students, faculty, and alumni. These decisions are never easy and we’ve valued our 12 years as proud members of the Pac-12 Conference. We look forward to achieving new goals while embarking on this exciting next era as members of the Big 12 Conference.”
The Buffaloes had long been considered a priority expansion target for the Big 12, which held “substantive” talks with Colorado earlier this offseason, multiple sources told Dodd in May. This despite CU publicly saying it desired to remain in the Pac-12 and would not make any decisions until a…
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