On Friday August 2, the Big 12 Conference officially welcomed Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
“I’m thrilled to officially welcome Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah into the Big 12 family. I’m incredibly excited about what each school brings to our league both on and off the field – great markets, great fan bases and great brands, in addition to athletic and academic excellence. With this move, we become a national Conference, and there’s no better time than right now to be a part of the Big 12,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said.
“This is an exciting day for our Arizona student-athletes, coaches, staff, student body, alumni and fans across the world as we officially join the Big 12 Conference. The Arizona brand is already well-known and joining the Big 12 creates new opportunities for our student-athletes and our university. As a U of A alum, I am proud that we will have a bigger platform to showcase our student-athletes, the transformational work of our faculty and staff and our incredible community and state. As we navigate through the changes in college athletics, we will work tirelessly to create and support a new modern model that emphasizes the student-athlete experience and competing at the highest level,” Arizona Director of Athletics Desire Reed-Francois said.
“Arizona State University and its nearly 700 student athletes are excited to join the diverse collection of high quality institutions in the Big 12 Conference and eager to begin our first year of competition. Change is rejuvenating and as we have begun building closer relationships over the past year and become a part of this outstanding conference, we are highly motivated to share the innovative spirit that defines ASU. In the evolving model of college sports today, we look forward to working together to inspire students, alumni and fans throughout the conference and across the country in engagements that will drive us all to be our best and to set new standards of excellence in all that we do,” Arizona State President Michael Crow said.
“We’re excited to be back home in the Big 12 Conference, not just because of our rich history in the league, but especially because of the bright future ahead. In the current landscape of immense change within the world of collegiate athletics, the Big 12 is an innovative, dynamic leader. We’re looking forward to adding CU to a strong group of member institutions that will have an enormous impact on college athletics now and in the future,” Colorado Director of Athletics Rick George said.
“We are excited to officially join the Big 12 Conference and begin an incredible new era in Utah Athletics history. We are joining a conference that has a bold vision and a drive for innovation under the leadership of Commissioner Yormark, and we look forward to playing a strong role in that growth and evolution. It is a great fit for us and for our fans. We are grateful for the opportunity to develop new traditions and compete with programs with passionate fan bases and rich history, and eager to introduce them to what makes Utah special,” Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan said.
