Here's some additional information regarding Colorado's move to the Pac-whatever number.
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It's a done deal.
The University of Colorado will announce at an 11 a.m. Friday press conference that the school will leave the Big 12 and join the Pac-10.
The Pac-10 confirmed the deal Thursday morning with an official announcement on the conference Web page that said, "The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as it's 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978."
In the release, Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott said, "This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth. The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10."
The release also quoted CU chancellor Phil DiStefano and president Bruce Benson.
"On behalf of The University of Colorado students, faculty, alumni and fans, we are proud to accept this invitation from the Pac-10 and join the most prestigious academic and athletic conference in the nation," DiStefano said.
"The University of Colorado is a perfect match - academically and athletically - with the Pac-10," Benson said. "Our achievements and aspirations match those of the universities in the conference and we look forward to a productive relationship."
Scott, Benson, DiStefano, CU athletic director Mike Bohn and other officials will appear at a press conference Friday at Folsom Field.
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Colorado officials have spent the week working behind the scenes to make sure the school was part of the Pac-10's expansion plans. The deal was finalized Wednesday after CU's board of regents gave athletic director Mike Bohn the go-ahead to secure an invitation at a meeting Tuesday night in Denver.
Speculation has mounted for the last week that Colorado would be part of the Pac-10's massive expansion. The Camera reported last week that CU would be part of a six-team deal that would also include Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
That speculation hit a snag after Baylor officials became incensed when the Bears were not included in the group, and mounted a late campaign in the Lone Star State to replace Colorado.
Those efforts failed. While Baylor took its case to the public, CU officials quietly worked behind the scenes to procure an invitation from the Pac-10 and were successful.
The move could produce a huge boost in revenue for CU's athletic department. If the Big 12 South schools follow CU into the Pac-10, one estimate has television revenue approaching the $25 million to $27 million range when a new contract is signed. That would be approximately three times what CU received from the Big 12 this year.
What is also likely is that the Big 12 is a dead conference walking. Wednesday, it was reported that Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds told UT staffers that the conference couldn't be saved. Those reports surfaced after reports said that Nebraska was ready to join the Big Ten.
Colorado, however, did not want to hinge its decision based on that of any other school in the Big 12, including Texas and Nebraska. CU athletic department officials have been working on proving the school's worth to the Pac-10 for months, and they utilized a wide variety of CU resources - including prominent faculty members and administrators - to make their case.
Boulder Daily Camera