C
Cr122
Guest
Updated: September 21, 2010, 9:44 PM ET
Colorado, Big 12 agree to early exit
* Email
* Print
* Comments70
By David Ubben
ESPN.com
Archive
Colorado will pay more than $6 million to leave the Big 12 after the 2010-11 academic year, the Big 12 announced on Tuesday.
Colorado plans to leave for the Pac-10 on June 30, 2011 and have $6.863 million withheld from its conference revenue.
Big 12 blog
Ubben ESPN.com's David Ubben writes about all things Big 12 in his conference blog.
• Blog network:
College Football Nation
"We are pleased that, with this issue behind us, the Big 12 is poised to begin the transition to its exciting future as a 10-member Conference beginning in July," Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said in a statement.
Colorado initially planned to leave for the Pac-10 after the 2011 season, but Nebraska's announced plans to move to the Big Ten after the 2010 season meant Colorado would have to do the same or force the Big 12 to play a season with 11 teams, along with the Pac-10, who will also add Utah after the 2010-11 academic year.
Both officials from Colorado and Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott sounded pessimistic after Colorado's recent game at Cal-Berkeley that a deal to leave the Big 12 by 2011 instead of 2012 would come together.
Tuesday, it did.
"We are very excited that Colorado will be joining the Conference in 2011," Scott said in a statement Tuesday night. "Our plans all along were for them to join the Conference in 2012 so this puts the Pac-12 ahead of schedule, which is great news. With Colorado and Utah coming on board next year we are tremendously excited about the future of the Conference."
"Even as we leave for an exciting future in the Pac-10 Conference, we value the great friendships and memorable rivalries we have been a part of, and we appreciate the good faith Commissioner Dan Beebe has shown in working with us on our exit from the conference," Colorado chancellor Phil DiStefano said.
Nebraska and the Big 12 announced earlier Tuesday that it would agree to have $9.255 million of its conference revenue withheld, but that number would fall to $8.755 million if Nebraska was one of two teams in the Big 12 to qualify for a BCS bowl game.
David Ubben covers Big 12 football for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Colorado, Big 12 agree to early exit
* Comments70
By David Ubben
ESPN.com
Archive
Colorado will pay more than $6 million to leave the Big 12 after the 2010-11 academic year, the Big 12 announced on Tuesday.
Colorado plans to leave for the Pac-10 on June 30, 2011 and have $6.863 million withheld from its conference revenue.
Big 12 blog
Ubben ESPN.com's David Ubben writes about all things Big 12 in his conference blog.
• Blog network:
College Football Nation
"We are pleased that, with this issue behind us, the Big 12 is poised to begin the transition to its exciting future as a 10-member Conference beginning in July," Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said in a statement.
Colorado initially planned to leave for the Pac-10 after the 2011 season, but Nebraska's announced plans to move to the Big Ten after the 2010 season meant Colorado would have to do the same or force the Big 12 to play a season with 11 teams, along with the Pac-10, who will also add Utah after the 2010-11 academic year.
Both officials from Colorado and Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott sounded pessimistic after Colorado's recent game at Cal-Berkeley that a deal to leave the Big 12 by 2011 instead of 2012 would come together.
Tuesday, it did.
"We are very excited that Colorado will be joining the Conference in 2011," Scott said in a statement Tuesday night. "Our plans all along were for them to join the Conference in 2012 so this puts the Pac-12 ahead of schedule, which is great news. With Colorado and Utah coming on board next year we are tremendously excited about the future of the Conference."
"Even as we leave for an exciting future in the Pac-10 Conference, we value the great friendships and memorable rivalries we have been a part of, and we appreciate the good faith Commissioner Dan Beebe has shown in working with us on our exit from the conference," Colorado chancellor Phil DiStefano said.
Nebraska and the Big 12 announced earlier Tuesday that it would agree to have $9.255 million of its conference revenue withheld, but that number would fall to $8.755 million if Nebraska was one of two teams in the Big 12 to qualify for a BCS bowl game.
David Ubben covers Big 12 football for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.