Utah and BYU are back together again!
In what just came official, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State will be the newest members of the Big 12 Conference, joining Colorado which accepted an invite last week.
In a span of 24 hours, the Pac-12 Conference aka “The Conference of Champions” is left for dead with just Stanford, Cal, Washington State and Oregon State remaining. Buyouts for schools like San Diego State would be too steep, so the most likely scenarios for those four schools is either merging with the Mountain West Conference (MWC), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), or going Independent. Meanwhile, Oregon and Washington are joining up with UCLA and USC to go to the Big 10 next year.
Big 12 Conference Adds Arizona, Arizona State and Utah pic.twitter.com/Or4ypfW7d8
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 5, 2023
Barring any unexpected setbacks, the 16-team Big 12 will be comprised of:
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Colorado
UCF
Cincinnati
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
West Virginia
Utah
This would put the conference at the same size as the SEC and two smaller than the 18-team Big Ten. The ACC has 14 full-time football members, however, with rumors of Clemson and Florida State looking to leave — not to mention Notre Dame still independent — there are still plenty of more dominos to fall in what has been unprecedented day in college athletics.
With BYU and Utah reunited, the Holy War is officially back. No more non-conference games, the Utes and Cougars will be playing during Thanksgiving weekend during ‘rivalry week’ — one of the few rivalries left in college athletics through all the conference realignment mess over the past decade.
With Utah in the Big 12, here’s how BYU, Utah and national pundits reacted to conference expansion news:
This is going to be fun…#Pac12 #Big12 #Big10 #CFB #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/Ndbqyba62s
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) August 4, 2023
The BYU vs Utah #HolyWar (one of the best rivalries in college football) will be here annually though!
A great thing for college football and the student athletes that get to play in this game. https://t.co/4EMZ2jskM2
— Benjamin Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) August 4, 2023
Reunited. #BYUFOOTBALL #Big12 pic.twitter.com/745fbazeqR
— Dave McCann (@DaveMcCannTV) August 5, 2023
I’m in my feelings about all the dying rivalries in college sports but at least the Big 12 is accidentally bringing back Holy War https://t.co/yv13ymGE0J
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) August 4, 2023
Pac-12GoingDark. 😥
— Kevin Gemmell (@Kevin_Gemmell) August 4, 2023
Utah in the Big 12 parking lot right now: pic.twitter.com/hzzWWLBDJ7
— Steve Pierce (@PostJimmer) August 4, 2023
Y'all remember this…#Big12 #Pac12 #CFB #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/OJ3cbJD0ZQ
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) August 4, 2023
With the PAC12 breaking up, we’ve been avoiding a really big and important question that we NEED the answer to:
Who gets custody of Bill Walton
— Schrodinger’s Wildcat (@WildcatAgenda) August 3, 2023
Say what!!!!! pic.twitter.com/QUpMhkBkN6
— Nick Ford 🇵🇹 (@NickFord55) August 4, 2023
Conference Realignment Sucks.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) August 4, 2023
This has been the craziest week of conference realignment I have ever covered. Things have changed and keep changing by the hour.
I need all the coffee.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 4, 2023
College Football is losing its traditions and rivalries and it’s all because of money.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 4, 2023
College Football as you know it is GONE.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 4, 2023
Only 4 schools left standing in a conference that dates back to the early 1900’s & one I grew up watching & loving completely being cannibalized by the money hunger games is pretty damn sad. Save the “you work for espn” comments. I grew up in the Pac long before my employment.
— Matt Barrie (@MattBarrie) August 4, 2023
Man I’m going to miss college football. Local rivalries. Divided families. Tradition.
I may very well love this new thing. This semi-pro league. There will be great games with big time brands.
But man I’m going to miss college football.
— Will Cain (@willcain) August 5, 2023
Tattoo artists gonna be busy in Utah… #Big12 #Pac12 #CFB #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/DY2VhKVN3u
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) August 4, 2023
Amazon gonna make some big sales tonight pic.twitter.com/xMZZXBenCq
— j (@thiz_justin) August 4, 2023
Anybody know where to get a Big-12 bumper sticker? 😆 pic.twitter.com/B4e4uaBcUf
— Utebuntu 2-23 (@Utebuntu) August 4, 2023
#trampstampcoverup pic.twitter.com/yA3DLUfVSx
— InkedCougar (@InkedCougar) August 4, 2023
Said this a very long time ago, but worth repeating now.
If Utah winds up in the Big 12, Utah-BYU is renewed and is immediately the conference’s No. 1 rivalry.
These are good, if not great things and you can’t convince me otherwise.
— Josh Newman (@Joshua_Newman) August 3, 2023
Yeah I think Utah enters the Big 12 as the top, and if not, one of the top 2-3 football programs in the conference.
I think it’s going to be fun.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) August 4, 2023
Relief. Utah’s in a conference where it’s going to grow its national brand on FOX/ESPN, potentially win a Big 12 conference championship or two & an auto bid to the CFP all in the heart of Texas & the plains. Plus, a renewal of the holy war. A lot to like actually.
— Eric T Lund (@EricTLund) August 4, 2023
Excited and relieved. It’s been a crappy roller coaster for a while. Glad to have some closure. Sucks for OSU & WAZZU though.
— WrigleyvilleUte (@jhallito) August 4, 2023
I'm warming up to this (or something like it)https://t.co/baP2mA6Vup
— El Duderino (@TheJugg801) August 4, 2023
Utah is an absolutely perfect fit for the Big 12 https://t.co/rgPSkVg37v
— Brooks White (@BrooksLWhite) August 4, 2023
The Utes backing their way into the same conference as BYU is probably the greatest thing to ever happen to the Salt Lake City sports media. 😂
— Jacob Nielson (@Jacobnielson12) August 4, 2023
Big XII Football Media Days next year gonna be 🔥
— Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) August 4, 2023
Utah, BYU and TCU all taking different paths around the same time to wind up in the same conference together again a little more than a decade later pic.twitter.com/Bz2H62IP3P
— Carter Williams (@cwilliamsKSL) August 5, 2023
From a Big 12 standpoint, adding Utah, AZ, ASU, and CU is great. It reunites one of the best rivalries in sports. There is value in that. These additions bring more stability.
From a fan perspective, I was hoping Utah would have to suffer through independence. No such luck.
— Ys Guide (@YsGuide) August 4, 2023
The BYU-Utah rivalry game will be a prime time game featured nationally by the Big 12 during rivalry week in November. They'll promote this game like crazy. #TheHolyWar was already intense, can't imagine what it's going to be like over the next 5+ years pic.twitter.com/WSjyqaNYPK
— Tanner Christenson (@tannachris) August 4, 2023
If Utah joins the BIG12 and suddenly both teams have P5 resources, those Holy War games are going to be ABSOLUTELY BONKERS
The rivalry is already one of the best and most abrasive in the country, I can’t even imagine what it could be once the stakes are even higher 😳🔥🔥
— BYUFanGuy 🏴☠️ (@BYUFanGuy) August 3, 2023
I have conflicting feelings about Utah joining the conference, but one thing I do know is the rivalry game is going to be OUT OF THIS WORLD.
— Cougs in the Pros 🤙🏼 (@BYUpros) August 4, 2023
A Top 5 rivalry now has real implications once again. This is a win for Utah and BYU fans, though I am sure BYU won't see it that way.
— Fox (@foxonabox_) August 4, 2023
Im not a fan of either team but have to say that BYU/Utah game will be must see TV.
— Curt Thrapp (@curtthrapp) August 3, 2023
Honestly the B12 seems kinda fun with some very passionate fans. It'll be fun being in a conference where fans care https://t.co/3nnEgadGvw
— A-Aron (@Aaron_Utes) August 4, 2023
If byu and Utah ever meet for the Big-12 football championship, can the game be moved to Vegas?
Honestly, losing the Vegas FCCG and basketball tournament is one of, if not THE, hardest part of this
— Jeff Dart 🌹 (@jdartute) August 4, 2023
Sustainability test:
☑️ Independence
🔲 Pac12
— Sporty (@SportyMcSports) August 4, 2023
I hope it won’t be too distracting for Utah to play in stadiums full of people.
— BIG XII truck stop Homeboy (@Average_Homeboy) August 4, 2023
I just can’t imagine never having been in a conference with Texas and Oklahoma.
— Sporty (@SportyMcSports) August 4, 2023
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) August 4, 2023
Man.
What a freaking turn around.
Relegated to obscurity and left to die in independence, BYU turns the tables completely and now looks out at the utes begging for the last seat at the table.
The way that turned around in the last decade is unbelievable.— ƃuoɹʇsɯɹɐ uǝq (@dryflyelk) August 4, 2023
BYU beating all three of the BIG12’s new teams in back to back to back weeks. pic.twitter.com/qvBoxc1H1X
— Dallin Worthington (@DallinwBYU) August 5, 2023
At least now BYU knows it will have at least 2 basketball conference wins every year! https://t.co/bdwjjVYJEU
— Joe Wheat (@joewheat27) August 4, 2023
Due to Utah’s strong performance in winning two straight conference championships, we have decided to call them up on a 10-day contract while we measure their pride and use of terms like trucks stops and big12 honks. https://t.co/tKQAUFSAl4
— Sporty (@SportyMcSports) August 4, 2023
Welcome to the conference! pic.twitter.com/6xuun0BP4i
— Hayden (@oldmaxhall) August 5, 2023
With 16 teams, the Big 12 has positioned itself to be part of the ‘Significant 3’ behind the Big 10 and SEC.
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BYU Officially Joins Big 12 Conference: Here’s All The Reactions
