It’s official: The University of Arizona is headed to the Big 12 Conference.
The league on Friday night announced the additions of Arizona, Arizona State and Utah, completing — for now — the latest round of conference realignment.
The UA and ASU had been members of the Pac-12 since 1978. Their final season in the league will be the upcoming 2023-24 academic year.
The Big 12 Board of Directors voted unanimously to admit the Territorial Cup rivals, along with Utah. They follow Colorado, which left the Pac-12 for the Big 12 last week.
“We are thrilled to welcome Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12,” Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a news release. “The conference is gaining three premier institutions both academically and athletically, and the entire Big 12 looks forward to working alongside their presidents, athletic directors, student-athletes and administrators.”
"I am pleased to share that the University of Arizona will join the Big 12 Conference in all sports beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year," Robbins wrote.
"As many of you know, athletics serves as the front porch for the University of Arizona, as it is a rallying point for alumni and fans and creates pride in our community both here in Arizona and around the world. Arizona Athletics is positioned well for long-term success, as our goal always was to secure a bright future for our student-athletes, fans, and the entire university community.
"I want to thank Athletics Director Dave Heeke for his partnership. We share a deep sense of pride in the University of Arizona, with its national presence and championship legacy that resonates throughout college athletics, and I look forward to his continued leadership in the years to come. Our move to the Big 12 Conference will continue to raise the University’s profile by increasing visibility, growing our reach across the country and around the globe, expanding our pool of prospective students, providing more resources to support our student-athletes, and presenting them with greater NIL prospects. We look forward to beginning a new era next year with fresh opportunities for athletics to fulfill its Wildcat Way mission to develop academic, athletic, and life champions.
"Whether current students or employees, alumni, or community members, the Wildcat Family is passionate and strong, and I am grateful for its amazing and unwavering support of our student-athletes and programs. Arizona will continue to compete for championships on this expanded stage in front of our fans in a variety of old and new footprints, and I look forward to sharing in those experiences with you.
"I want to thank the Pac-12 Conference for being an excellent home for the University of Arizona for so many years and for reliably supporting our university. We will enjoy our final year as a Pac-12 institution, along with Big 12-bound members Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado, while looking forward to our future as part of the Big-12 Conference next summer.
"Bear Down, and Go Cats!"
Earlier Friday, Oregon and Washington left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. The Pac-12 is now left with four members — Cal, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State — and will struggle to survive beyond 2024.
“Today’s news is incredibly disappointing for student-athletes, fans, alumni and staff of the Pac-12 who cherish the over 100-year history, tradition and rivalries of the Conference of Champions," the league said in a statement. "We remain focused on securing the best possible future for each of our member universities.”
Oregon and Washington followed USC and UCLA, who announced they were joining the Big Ten last summer. The Big Ten now consists of 18 schools, including four on the West Coast.
The Big 12 will have 16 members starting in 2024-25. The league is losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joined the conference this year.
"We are excited for this new chapter, a move that is necessary to remain competitive in top-tier Division 1 athletics," ASU president Michael Crow said in a news release. “We are joining a premier athletic conference and bringing with us programs on the rise, our rich traditions and history, and the metro Phoenix media market. We're in a good spot, and we are pleased to be with UArizona and Utah in the move."
Arizona football assistant coach Chuck Cecil, a legend in his playing days in Tucson, shares at the team's media day Aug. 1, 2023 the importance of the UA/ASU rivalry amid the college realignment conversation. Video by Brett Fera/Arizona Daily Star
