The collegiate athletics scene is always shifting.
Now that Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah have all declared plans to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12 Conference, only four institutions remain in the conference.
Both Oregon and Washington confirmed earlier Friday that they will be leaving the Pac-12 Conference to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.
Since UCLA and USC announced last year that they would be leaving the Pac 12 for the Big Ten beginning with the 2024–25 season, these schools' decision to switch conferences coincides with the expiration of the Pac 12's media rights deal with ESPN and FOX and represents the latest shift in the collegiate sports landscape.
The schools will avoid having to pay an exit fee since they have chosen to quit the Pac-12 after the media rights arrangement has expired. Arizona State's VP of varsity sports, Ray Anderson, cited the Big 12's financial package and stability as reasons for the move.
The Big 12 is poised to grow from 12 teams to 16 teams in anticipation of the 2024 college football season, indicating a rebound for the conference after the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas revealed earlier this year that they were departing to join the SEC.
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