Colorado Buffaloes return home to the Big 12: Press Conference reactions

CU says it was more about the Student- Athlete experience and less about the revenue

In an almost predictable move, the University of Colorado Board of Regents unanimously approved a move to return to the Big 12 conference after twelve years in the Pac-12.

This was anything but shocking news following the announcement that USC and UCLA will leave the conference in 2024. Prior to this decision, the assumption has been that post 2024, the Pac-12 would rely on Washington, Oregon, and an improved CU under the Coach Prime regime. Lately however, rumors have circulated that Oregon and Washington are considering a move out of the Pac-12 as well. Removing half the teams in the conference including Oregon, and especially Washington, could spell the end for the Pac-12 Conference.

It comes as no surprise that both Colorado athletic director Rick George and Chancellor Philip DeStefano leaned heavily on two concepts. “This is the best decision for our student- athletes” and “long term future stability”.

The “best decision for our student- athletes” part is straightforward. George specifically spent time on multiple answers during the Q&A segment going into detail about the student athlete’s mental health, the benefit of shorter travel times, the exposure to other large media markets beyond the west coast as well as (likely) improved recruiting. This is quite simply a “put yourself in their shoes” situation. The bulk of away games will now likely fall within a geographical range that minimizes travel and other less than ideal student athlete scenarios.

George also attempted to make it abundantly clear that finances or the full revenue share were not the driving force behind this decision.

The “long term future stability” angle is similarly straight forward. However, there are layers and lines to read between. I don’t think you need to be a college athletics expert to see that there has been writing on the wall. The question of stability exists because the Pac-12 does not look anywhere near as stable as it did 12 years ago.

The Pac-12 thrived with the Hollywood glitz of USC in the early 2000's. UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, and Washington were also top dogs. But over the last 12 years, Stanford and Oregon have regressed as powers in the conference or even Power Five college football.

As for CU, it was a historically forgettable stretch. The notion that moving to the Pac-12 and gaining the benefit of California exposure, hopefully improved recruiting and an increase in alumni donating seemed like a logical motivator. There was also hope that the Pac-12 Network would grow and compete with the larger networks like ESPN and FOX. The two networks CU now wishes to align themselves with. In 2023, it seems that did not materialize as Colorado had hoped.

With a possible projected 2024 membership, the Pac-12 could be looking at a conference of only Arizona St, Arizona, Cal, Oregon St, Stanford, Washington St and Utah. That could result in a conference with no ‘bread winners’ so to speak. Thus, introduces the lack of stability.

Conversely, if we look at a projected lineup in the Big 12, an argument could be made that the Big 12 could have as many as four potential 'bread-winners'. Albeit, not on the level, or marketing of a USC/UCLA, Ohio St/Michigan, Alabama/Georgia. Those potential bread winners being Oklahoma St, Baylor, TCU and yes, I’m including CU in that tier post Coach Prime acquisition.

Over the decades, the logical answer to who sits atop the Big 12 has been Texas or Oklahoma. But with both schools packing up for the SEC next year, there will need to be a new sheriff in town. With a diminished Pac-12, assuming it survives, creates an opening. With a concentration of at least 6 storied programs, it is logical to think that in short order, the Big 12 could and should be more stable and more competitive. For all teams involved, not just football.

As previously mentioned, there are layers to this and lines to read between. While I believe everything that was said in the press conference, we do have to consider the motivators behind word choice, what questions get answers and which questions get side stepped. A comedian I won’t mention by name once said,

“A divorce is always good news. I know it sounds weird, but no good marriage has ever ended in divorce.”

That is exactly how CU fans, alumni and outside sources need to look at this. CU and the Pac-12 entered into a relationship. After 12 years and several situational dynamics, it has been deemed that this relationship is simply no longer mutually beneficial. Therefore, one party in said relationship has determined a change is needed. That’s it. There is nothing more complex or nefarious about it.

What revealed itself in the Q&A segment of the Press Conference was a vague understanding that the functional symbiosis expected 12 years ago either didn’t manifest or enough factors had changed to make that symbiosis no longer evident. The TV deal or the equal revenue share played a much smaller role than the impact on the student athletes.

• When asked if the Pac-12 offered a satisfactory deal or was the Big 12 deal better, George responded with, “Media deals are difficult but the stability, partners and time slots for athletes was a bigger factor”. “Partners” meaning ESPN and FOX vs the Pac-12 Network.

• When asked to go into detail about the last 13 months, George politely side stepped the question suggesting he would not go into detail, but asserted that the Big 12 was the best situation for CU. No one expects an AD to answer a question like that, but giving the hard no and side stepping the question does suggest there were factors at play that the public does not need to be privy to.

• Both George and DeStefano were asked what they found attractive about moving back to the Big 12. Rick George focused on the three time zones and exposure beyond the west coast. Suggesting that games in Cincinnati, Orlando, Dallas and Houston would likely create more benefit for CU than multiple games in California. DeStefano focused on the stability aspect, suggesting the Big 12 is much more stable now than it was 12 years ago. Both answers are good ones, but the answers also signify a change in belief. Or at least, the previous belief is no longer the case.

• Two questions regarding Coach Prime and the CU football program were asked and answered similarly. George made sure to mention Coach Prime’s impact and influence, especially in all the CU social media platforms. Including all of CU’s platforms, not just Coach Prime’s platforms. However, the bottom line is that this was a decision for all teams under the CU athletic department. Naturally, most people outside the situation will believe this was a move for the football team, but Rick George is not the athletic director of just the football team. It had to work for all CU athletics.

• Where this gets interesting is the question, “What do you say to those that will say this move is an indictment on the Pac-12 conference?” George was quick to give his support, thanks to the Pac-12 and claimed that this move is not at all about that. Bringing it back to what’s best for CU. That’s almost press conference 101 stuff. The question is confrontational in nature. The ‘ask’ of the question is to assign blame. Which George was not going to do. Then he immediately circles back to the reason the administration wants people to focus on. This was a decision in the best interests of our student athletes and not that the Pac-12 did something wrong or deserves blame.

• Finally, there was a question regarding the CU alumni in California, which was a significant factor in the University moving to the Pac-12 over a decade ago. There was a slight inferred suggestion that with USC and UCLA leaving in 2024, that the impact of CU in the Pac-12 going forward would likely be noticeably less than it was 12 years ago. If we read between the lines, Rick George accurately brought the discussion back to media markets. Southern California is massive. It’s the #2 media market in the country. However, George made sure to mention Orlando (#17 market in the country), Houston (#7 market in the country) and Dallas (#5 market in the country). Then reasserting that much of this decision comes back to what’s best for our student athletes.

Any conference realignment must be a decision for the entire athletic department, not just the football team. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the timing of this decision. Some would argue that this decision should have been made shortly after USC and UCLA bowed out. There is not a single person working for CU in Boulder who doesn’t believe big things are coming for CU football under Coach Prime.

The last thing any AD in George’s position wants is to have a conference alignment problem when the team is ascending. This decision now puts all programs but specifically the football program in a much more “stable” situation as all involved expect significant improvement over last year’s 1-11 campaign. Prior to this both in Boulder, Colorado and Jackson, Mississippi, Coach Prime has been asked about moving to another conference. He has been steadfast in his belief that a school should not move conferences unless it’s beneficial to all sports in the athletic department and all sports are prepared for it. A concept where Coach Prime and the administration seem to be aligned.

It’s obvious that in the world of sports, no administrator or team official ever wants to throw the other participant under the bus. Both George and DeStefano went out of their way to thank and show appreciation if not solidarity for George Kliavkoff, the Pac-12 commissioner, and assert that all CU programs will strive to be “good peers” in their final Pac-12 campaign. To read between the lines, it’s obvious some aspects of this working relationship between CU and the Pac-12 were not working well enough to continue the relationship. Whether the Pac-12 regroups and fills 2024 vacancies or is in the beginning stages of folding is still uncertain. What is certain today, is that the University of Colorado Buffaloes are in a much more stable situation than they were yesterday.