The University of Arizona’s departure from the Pac-12 appears to be imminent.
It became increasingly evident throughout Thursday evening that Arizona will be leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big 12. On Thursday night, ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report that Arizona was “in deep discussions with the Big 12 about joining the league.”
A little while after Thamel’s initial report, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo reported that the Big 12 met Thursday “to approve the application of Arizona as a 14th member.” After that, the only step that would need to be taken is a vote of approval by Arizona’s Board of Regents. That Board of Regents met on Thursday evening, which included discussions on “possible legal advice and discussion regarding university athletics.”
While it is currently unclear what the ultimate decision will be, Pete Thamel reported earlier this week that if Arizona were to leave the conference, Arizona State and Utah would likely leave the Pac-12 as well.
The three schools were expected to stick together through the decision-making process. In his most recent report on Thursday night, Thamel reports that “Arizona State and Utah have been more conservative in their approach, but sources said the tenor on that has changed recently with the flurry of events.”
Once Arizona officially departs from the Pac-12 for the Big 12, it will become the second conference member to do so in just over a week. Colorado previously announced its decision to move to the Big 12 on July 27. The Pac-12 also saw Southern California and UCLA decide to move to the Big Ten, starting in July of 2024.
Arizona’s departure is also likely to set off the final wave of conference realignment, which includes current Pac-12 member institutions in what will likely also effectively end the conference, at least as college football fans have come to know it.
With Arizona State’s and Utah’s potential departures close behind Arizona’s, the Big Ten is also exploring the possibilities of adding the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. However, there is not expected to be any imminent movement with either university or within the Big Ten.
While trying to manage its realignment woes, the Pac-12 and its commissioner, George Kliavkoff, are also trying to put the finishing touches on a new media rights deal in hopes of saving the conference. Unfortunately for the Pac-12 and Kliavkoff, time may not be on their side.