Report: Colorado to return to the Big 12, leave Pac-12 in 2024

Colorado stunned the college football world after reports came out Wednesday afternoon that they were expected to leave the Pac-12 Conference in favor of a return to the Big 12. That move could come a lot sooner than many anticipated.

According to Brett McMurphy, the Buffs are set to rejoin their old conference in 2024 citing “the Big 12’s stability & Pac-12’s uncertainty.” That means they’ll have one last season in the Pac-12, the same as USC and UCLA who are headed to the Big Ten themselves.

The report also states that Colorado will also receive the full amount ($31.7 million) to be paid for the Big 12’s new media rights deal with ESPN/FOX. An official announcement is expected to come on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and UCF joined the Big 12 as the conference prepares for the departure of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.

Because of the Longhorns and Sooners’ dominance since the conference’s inception — Colorado actually comes into the league as one of the more decorated teams in the conference’s history out of all its active members.

The Buffs rank No. 6 in all-time (60) in wins out of current Big 12 members (excluding Texas and OU) and have more conference wins than TCU (56), who just came off a College Football Playoff run, West Virginia (47) and Kansas (45).

The Horned Frogs and Mountaineers came into the conference after the Buffs left for the Pac-12 in 2010, but the Jayhawks joined the conference with Colorado originally in 1996. After a 14-year hiatus from Colorado — Kansas still likely won’t come within 10 wins of the Buffs by the time they return. The same could be said about WVU.

If either Texas or Oklahoma win the Big 12 Championship in 2023, Colorado will also enter their old conference tied for second-most in Big 12 Championships among active programs — with one, which they won back in 2001.

Baylor (2013, 2014, 2021) and Kansas State (2003, 2012, 2022) are the only two programs with more. The Buffs are knotted with Oklahoma State (2011) and TCU (2014) for second-place

Still, there’s an entire season of football to be played until we get to the ‘Great Conference Realignment of 2024.’ That should be enough time for Deion Sanders and group of transfer portal players to settle into playing together at a Power Five, Division I level in their final season in the Pac-12.