Colorado to the Big 12? Cool. I’m more excited for what’s to come

its media days, and while I think most believed him, few expected it to be enacted two weeks later.

Maybe because the Big 12 didn’t expected to add Colorado so soon. Maybe it did. The University of Colorado was the one to apply for conference membership, which the Big 12 unanimously accepted, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Pac-12’s future is uncertain and the Big 12 took advantage.

At Pac-12 media days last week, commissioner George Kliavkoff said the Big 12 was “not a concern.” levels of success. But Colorado made the move. You think all nine other Pac12 teams aren’t scampering this week? Without a media rights deal and three teams leaving the conference in 2024 — two from Los Angeles and the other with Deion — more will be looking for a new home.

“I know the truth,” he said.

How? Because Deion Sanders is the coach. He went 27-5 in three seasons at Jackson State and signed 12 four-star recruits/transfers and 2022 No. 1 player five-star Travis Hunter. When he jumped to Colorado, he signed 21 players — including No. 1 cornerback Cormani McClain — and 50 (!) transfers, including Hunter and Shedeur Sanders from Jackson State. 2023 season tickets sold out almost immediately.

Brett Yormark said he and the Big 12 had an expansion plan in mid-July at

Well, Colorado, a team with one winning season in its 12 seasons in the Pac-12 after leaving the Big 12 in 2011, is back.

Why? Because more will surely follow. Sure, Deion is Deion. He’s one of the biggest names in college football. The Buffaloes haven’t been a good, even somewhat competent football program before Deion was hired. And if he leaves for a better job one day, I doubt Colorado will go back to early 2000s sports.ed@ocolly.com

And the Big 12 owns a neighborhood. If Colorado is the only team to join from the Pac-12, it’s an add with high upside but low downside. But if it isn’t, it fired the starting gun of the Pac-12’s downfall and the age of super conferences. And the Big 12 will be there to stay.