Upon welcoming the Four Corner schools, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah, to the Big 12 on Friday, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark made an exciting statement about the future of the league.
Yormark and other select media members, alumni, and athletic directors, made statements regarding the partnership between the new four schools and the Big 12 Conference.
“I’m thrilled to officially welcome Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah into the Big 12 family,” Yormark said. “I’m incredibly excited about what each school brings to our league both on and off the field – great markets, great fan bases, and great brands, in addition to athletic and academic excellence. With this move, we become a national Conference, and there’s no better time than right now to be a part of the Big 12.”
Yormark wasn’t the only member of Big 12 athletics to glow about the addition; ADs from each of the Four Corner schools spoke on the move in high regard.
“This is an exciting day for our Arizona student-athletes, coaches, staff, student body, alumni, and fans across the world as we officially join the Big 12 Conference,” Arizona AD Desireé Reed-Francois said. “The Arizona brand is already well-known and joining the Big 12 creates new opportunities for our student-athletes and our university. As a U of A alum, I am proud that we will have a bigger platform to showcase our student-athletes, the transformational work of our faculty and staff, and our incredible community and state. As we navigate through the changes in college athletics, we will work tirelessly to create and support a new modern model that emphasizes the student-athlete experience and competing at the highest level.”
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for ASU and Sun Devil Athletics as we proudly join the Big 12! We can’t wait to maintain our rivalries with the Four Corner schools while building new traditions and connections with the outstanding universities we now join in this exciting national conference,” Arizona State AD Graham Rossini said. “Together, we’ll ignite new ways for our passionate Sun Devil fans to connect and experience game day like never before. Additionally, we’ll create important new resources and opportunities, propelling our incredible student-athletes to achieve success in the classroom and at the highest levels of competition.”
“We’re excited to be back home in the Big 12 Conference, not just because of our rich history in the league, but especially because of the bright future ahead,” Colorado AD Rick George said. “In the current landscape of immense change within the world of collegiate athletics, the Big 12 is an innovative, dynamic leader. We’re looking forward to adding CU to a strong group of member institutions that will have an enormous impact on college athletics now and in the future.”
“We are excited to officially join the Big 12 Conference and begin an incredible new era in Utah Athletics history,” Utah AD Mark Harlan said. “We are joining a conference that has a bold vision and a drive for innovation under the leadership of Commissioner Yormark, and we look forward to playing a strong role in that growth and evolution. It is a great fit for us and for our fans. We are grateful for the opportunity to develop new traditions and compete with programs with passionate fan bases and rich history, and eager to introduce them to what makes Utah special.”
