BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado is back in the Big 12 Conference.
The CU Buffaloes officially rejoined the Big 12 on Aug. 2 after a 13 years in the Pac-12 Conference.
The move marks a return for Colorado to a conference they helped found in 1994 and one that began play in 1996.
CU announced in the summer of 2023 it would jump to the Big 12. The Buffs' decision prompted fellow Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to follow suit.
In a joint statement, CU athletic director Rick George and then-Chancellor Phil DiStefano said the move "would give CU Boulder the stability, resources and exposure necessary for long-term future success in a college athletics environment that is constantly evolving. … The Big 12's national reach across three time zones as well as our shared creative vision for the future we feel make it an excellent fit for CU Boulder, our students, faculty, and alumni."
Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor remain in the Big 12 from when the Buffs were last in the conference in 2010. Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M have left.
Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Central Florida and West Virginia will become new conference foes for the Buffaloes as fall 2024 sports get underway.
