Report: Arizona State and Utah Apply for Big 12 Membership

Another day, another nail in the Pac-12’s coffin.

Arizona State and Utah have formally applied for membership to the Big 12, according to a report by Pete Thamel. Shortly after, Brett McMurphy tweeted that a move of the two schools and Arizona to the Big 12 is pending and would be finalized in the next 24 hours.

BREAKING: Arizona, Arizona State & 2-time defending Pac-12 champion Utah joining Big 12 in 2024 pending Big 12 formal approval in next 24 hours, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Big 12 will be 3rd league w/at least 16 schools, while Pac-12 down to 4 schoolshttps://t.co/ElL3jh2HLg

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 4, 2023

This latest news comes a day after Arizona was formally accepted by the Big 12. The next step is Arizona’s Board of Regents (which also governs Arizona State) voting to make the move official. Colorado was the first Pac-12 school to leave for the Big 12, buttoning up its business last week. Oregon and Washington are reportedly making the move to the Big Ten.

If these dominoes continue falling as they have been, we’re looking at a 16-team Big 12. These moves would give the league both Arizona schools for a nice in-state rivalry and would lump both sides of the Holy War Rivalry (Utah and BYU) into the same league.

Arizona and Arizona State were two of the original Pac-10 members when the conference was formed in 1978. Utah joined the Pac in 2011.