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Pete Thamel, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS -- Colorado is in deep discussions about a potential move to the Big 12, sources told ESPN, with a decision on the move coming as early as a public board meeting on Thursday.
Colorado's board held an executive board session on Wednesday to discuss the potential move, according to sources. When that completed, the corresponding move for a public meeting to hold a potential vote on the league change came moments after. The school announced a "special board meeting" and the agenda is listed as, "Action Item: Athletics Operations." A board spokesman told ESPN that an action item indicates a vote will take place.
In the Colorado system, a public meeting is required for a vote on a matter such as switching conferences. A board spokesman confirmed that Thursday's "special board meeting" meeting is public.
Colorado's future with the Pac-12 has long been in flux, as for months they've been deemed the biggest flight risk amid the Pac-12's protracted television contract negotiations. Colorado has also had the most extensive meetings with the Big 12, as sources told ESPN that the Big 12 and Colorado officials met in May in person at a neutral site to discuss a potential move.
The back-to-back board meetings by Colorado also align with another indicator for a potential move to the Big 12. Sources told ESPN that Big 12 presidents and chancellors are set to meet on Wednesday night, with the topic of expansion expected to be on the agenda.
The coinciding meetings point to an imminent decision. And they align with Colorado's general unhappiness with the Pac-12, which stretches back to the tenure of former commissioner Larry Scott.
When ESPN asked Colorado athletic director Rick George this week about a potential conference decision for the school, he declined comment. He did expresses frustration at the Pac-12's inability to put together a television deal, saying he had no meeting scheduled with the league this week.
"We are where we are," George told ESPN. "We've just got to figure it out."
The Colorado board spokesman told ESPN: "There will be no further discussion until the public meeting."
That meeting may end up largely as a formality. The key step remaining for Colorado will be to formally apply to the Big 12, which is typically done with a short e-mail. That application has not been made yet, according to sources. Public applications to a league are often considered formalities after all votes have been secured.
This potential move comes amid the backdrop of the Pac-12's slow pace toward landing a television deal. The school group has collectively has been waiting for a television number from commissioner George Kliavkoff.
A source told ESPN's Heather Dinich that the Pac-12 presidents have still not been presented a media deal, a reoccurring theme over the past few months. Colorado Chancellor Phil DiStefano told the Denver Post last week that he was expecting numbers in a meeting prior to the Pac-12's media day last week. Those never materialized.
The potential move marks a return for Colorado to the Big 12, which they were members of from 1996 to 2010. Colorado left for the Pac-12 in 2011 and has had no bowl wins and just two winning football seasons since the move.
George hustled out of Pac-12 media day without commenting last week, fueling suspicions of Colorado's wandering eye. When asked by ESPN on Tuesday why he wouldn't express fidelity to the Pac-12 at a time many of his peers spoke of solidarity, George said: "It's just who I am. When I have something to say, I'll say it."
A Colorado departure from the Pac-12 would come after the 2023-24 season and coincide with the end of the Pac-12 television deal. That would mean that Colorado would not have to pay any exit fee to the league. ESPN's Heather Dinich contributed to this report.
Colorado discussing move from Pac-12 to Big 12, sources say - ESPN - ESPN
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