Who is in the Big 12? And why are Pac-12 schools leaving for it? Your questions answered
The Big 12 Conference recently made a splash when Colorado left the Pac-12 Conference to rejoin it.
It made an even larger splash with the announcement that Arizona, Arizona State and Utah would follow the Buffaloes.
The addition of the four Pac-12 schools in 2024, along with Texas and Oklahoma leaving for the SEC that same year, puts the conference at 16 members.
Who is in the Big 12 right now?
Who is joining the conference next?
Who is pulling the strings in Big 12 expansion?
Why are Pac-12 schools leaving the conference for the Big 12?
What to know about the state of the Big 12 Conference realignment and expansion right now:
Big 12 expansion: Arizona State's Michael Crow must humble himself, fight for Pac-12 exit
More: Big 12 expansion or Pac-12 survival for Arizona Wildcats? Conflicting reports swirl
Who is in the Big 12 right now?
The Big 12 Conference was founded in 1994 with the Big Eight Conference joining with half of the members of the former Southwest Conference.
The original teams? Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Nebraska later left for the Big Ten, while Colorado left for the Pac-12, only to agree to return in 2024.
Texas A&M and Missouri left for the SEC, with Texas Christian joining the Big 12 from the Mountain West and West Virginia joining the conference from the Big East.
BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston have joined the conference for this year, giving the Big 12 14 teams for this season.
The departures of Oklahoma and Texas for the SEC in 2024, along with Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah's arrival from the Pac-12, puts the league at 16 members.
Big 12 expansion: Arizona State's Michael Crow implored to let Sun Devils leave Pac-12
Who could be next in Big 12 conference expansion?
Speculation swirled around the potential of the conference to add more teams for 2024 before Arizona, Arizona State and Utah's additions, and the University of Arizona was at the forefront of that speculation.
Arizona State and Utah were also linked to the conference, with the thought being that the Big 12 would like to have all four of the Pac-12's "Four Corners" schools in the conference. That thoughts became reality with the announced addition of the schools on Friday.
UConn has also often been mentioned as a potential addition to the conference mainly because of its basketball prowess and Gonzaga coming to the Big 12 as a basketball-only option has also been rumored. There has also been some speculation about some ACC teams and other Pac-12 teams joining the conference.
Big 12, Big Ten expansion predictions: Where will Pac-12 schools end up in realignment?
Who is the commissioner of the Big 12?
Brett Yormark was hired as the commissioner of the Big 12 in August of 2022 and he hit the ground running in pulling the strings behind recent expansion for his conference and an extension of the conference's media deal.
Yormark has worked in various sports and entertainment positions throughout his career, including as the CEO and President of Business Operations and Strategy at Roc Nation before his hire by the Big 12.
Yormark has been aggressive in attempts to expand the Big 12 and has received some rave reviews for his handling of the conference amid the woes of the Pac-12.
Big Ten expansion speculation, rumors: Will Pac-12's Oregon, Washington follow USC, UCLA?
How much is the Big 12's media deal worth?
The conference, under Yormark, finalized a media deal with FOX and ESPN in June that runs through the 2030-31 year and that gives the conference the financial stability that many Pac-12 teams have sought in their conference's ongoing media rights deal saga, making the Big 12 enticing for Pac-12 teams.
The conference's media deal reportedly pays out more than $30 million per school per season, something the Pac-12 has not been able to equal.
Those financial numbers, as well as the stability of the conference have made the Big 12 an enticing option to Pac-12 schools, an option that Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah took amid the demise of the Pac-12.
The additions of Colorado, Arizona, ASU and Utah allows the Big 12 to possibly implement a "pod" model that would ease travel concerns for those teams in the Big 12, with BYU also not far away from the Pac-12 defectors.
More: Big 12 expansion rumors swirl around Arizona, ASU, Pac-12 amid Board of Regents meeting
A statement from the Commissioner. pic.twitter.com/l2qxHEVdU2
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) June 30, 2023
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is in the Big 12? Why are teams leaving Pac-12? Questions answered
