Is Utah Leaving The Pac 12? Will Utah Join the Big 12?
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Aug 04, 2023
Is Utah Leaving The Pac 12?
The Utah Utes have been the dominant force in the Pac-12, securing back-to-back championships and expressing strong loyalty to the conference. However, recent developments have raised concerns as USC, UCLA, and Colorado have all decided to leave the Pac-12. Reports are now suggesting that Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah may also follow suit and depart from the conference.
Surprisingly, Utah, which was once staunchly committed to the Pac-12, has had a change of heart and is now seriously contemplating leaving the conference. Speculation about Utah's potential move to the Big 12 has been mounting, leaving the future of the Pac-12 uncertain and full of ambiguity.
Will Utah Join The Big 12?
Jason Scheer, it appears highly probable that the universities of Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State will become members of the Big 12 conference. While the process is not yet fully confirmed, sources with inside knowledge indicate that these three schools are very likely to make the move and join the Big 12.
In other words, Jason Scheer, a reporter for 247Sports, has disclosed information suggesting that the Big 12 conference is on the verge of adding Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State to its membership. Though the official announcement has not been made, reliable sources have provided strong indications that these universities are in the process of becoming part of the Big 12.
Utah to Big 12
There is growing speculation that Utah might join the Big 12 soon, especially as other teams continue to leave the Pac-12. Despite being the reigning back-to-back Pac-12 champions and expressing loyalty to the conference, Utah is now rumored to be considering leaving, alongside Arizona and Arizona State, after USC, UCLA, and Colorado's departures.
The situation has taken a surprising turn, with Utah reportedly having a change of heart and contemplating a move to the Big 12. As these talks intensify, the future of the Pac-12 seems uncertain and unclear.
If the reports indicating that the Utah Utes are planning to leave the Pac-12 turn out to be true, it would mark a significant shift in their stance. During Pac-12 media day, Mark Harlan, the athletic director of Utah, had emphasized their loyalty to the Pac-12 and expressed pride in their membership in the conference.
However, the landscape changed when Colorado announced its decision to join the Big 12, and the Pac-12's media rights deal focused primarily on streaming. These developments compelled other schools, including Utah, to reconsider their positions and explore the possibility of breaking away from the Pac-12. If Utah does decide to leave, it could have a profound impact on the future and viability of the Pac-12 as a conference.
It's important to note that despite the uncertainties surrounding their conference affiliation, the Utah Utes have a scheduled game against the Florida Gators on August 31 to kick off their 2023 college football season.
When Did Utah Join The Pac 12?
On June 11, 2010, the University of Colorado received and accepted an invitation to become a member of the Pac-12 conference. Subsequently, on June 17, 2010, the University of Utah also agreed to join the conference. With these two new additions, the conference underwent a transformation and was officially rebranded as the Pac-12. The new conference commenced its competitive activities on July 1, 2011.
In essence, the University of Colorado and the University of Utah were invited to join the Pac-12 conference in 2010. After both universities accepted the invitations, the conference underwent a name change to Pac-12 to reflect its expansion, and they began competing as members of the Pac-12 from July 1, 2011, onward.
The Pac 12
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that operates in the Western United States and competes in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams participate in the highest level of college football in the nation, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A.
The conference consists of 12 members located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. These members include flagship public universities, four additional public universities, and two private research universities.
The modern Pac-12 conference was established after the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) disbanded, and its principal members formed the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) in 1959. Over the years, the conference had various names, such as Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, and Pacific-10. It adopted the name Pac-12 in 2011 following the addition of Colorado and Utah to its ranks.
The Pac-12 is renowned as the "Conference of Champions" due to its impressive record of winning NCAA national championships in team sports, surpassing any other conference in history. Stanford, UCLA, and USC, all Pac-12 members, are the top three schools with the most NCAA team championships. Washington's victory in women's rowing in 2017 marked the 500th NCAA championship won by a Pac-12 school.
However, amidst the broader early-2020s NCAA conference realignment, significant changes are underway. UCLA and USC have announced their intentions to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten Conference, starting in 2024. Additionally, Colorado has declared that they will leave the Pac-12 and rejoin the Big 12, also beginning in 2024. These departures will undoubtedly impact the conference's future landscape.
Is Utah Leaving The Pac 12-FAQs
As of now, there are reports and speculation suggesting that Utah, along with Arizona and Arizona State, might be considering leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big 12. However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet, and the situation is still evolving.
The University of Utah officially joined the Pac-12 conference on June 17, 2010, after accepting an invitation to become a member.
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference operating in the Western United States. It competes in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level and is known for its strong football teams, which participate in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Pac-12 currently has 12 members. They are located in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
The Pac-12 earned the nickname "Conference of Champions" due to its outstanding record in NCAA national championships in team sports. It has won more NCAA team championships than any other conference in history.
The top three schools with the most NCAA team championships in the Pac-12 are Stanford, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and University of Southern California (USC).