Report: Big 12 looking to add several Pac 12 schools to membership

Jesse Crittenden, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
·1 min read
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Jul. 6—With USC and UCLA set to move from the Pac 12 to the Big Ten in 2024, reports indicate more conference realignment could be on the horizon.

According to a Wednesday report from CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd, the Big 12 is involved in "deep discussions" to add at least four Pac 12 teams to the conference. The teams mentioned are Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, though Oregon and Washington are also potential targets.

The move would expand the Big 12 to 16 teams, and as many as 18. Dodd also mentioned that a potential merger between the Big 12 and the Pac 12 is on the table.

The Pac 12's current TV agreements with FOX Sports and ESPN are set to expire in 2024. Despite the reports of further potential conference realignment, the Pac 12 announced that the conference's board of directors met Wednesday and authorized the conference to immediately begin negotiations for its next media rights agreements.

The Big 12, which currently has 10 teams, will expand to 14 teams when Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and Central Florida join the conference in 2024. Oklahoma and Texas will depart the conference no later than 2025.

Jesse Crittenden is the sports editor of The Transcript and covers OU athletics. Reach him at jesse@normantranscript.com or at 405-366-3580