A decade ago, Boulder, Colorado, became beachfront property.
In 2010, Colorado left the Big 12 to join the Pac-10, which changed its name from the Pac-12 to accommodate the addition of its new members.
We know conference realignment is about football first, but it affects all sports when it happens, basketball included. Now that we’re almost a full decade on from when the Buffs were one of the first dominoes to fall in the midst of a major shift in conference affiliations, we can evaluate with some hindsight. But let’s look back and see what people thought of the decision at the time it was made.
COLORADO JOINS PAC-10
“The Pac-10 announced Thursday that the University of Colorado has agreed to leave the Big 12 to join its conference.
‘This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10’ commissioner Larry Scott said shortly after announcing Colorado as the league’s 11th member tentatively beginning in 2012.
‘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.'” – ESPN.com
“The University of Colorado and the Pac-10 Conference beat the rest of the nation to the punch today with the Buffaloes announcing their change in conference affiliation to the West Coast-based league beginning in 2012.
While schools such as Missouri and Baylor have spent weeks or months beating their chests in an effort to better position themselves for conference expansion, CU officials worked quietly since last fall to move the school into a league in which it is a better fit academically, culturally and athletically.” – Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera
“Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said in a statement that he was aware that Colorado had accepted the Pac-10’s invitation and is working toward solutions to keep the Big 12 together in some form.
‘I continue to work through the process that was agreed upon last week by our Board of Directors to address membership issues, and are working tirelessly towards the long-term viability of the Big 12,’ Beebe said.” – ESPN.com
“We’re all extremely excited to be joining this conference. We look at it as a real class conference. You’re judged by who you associate with and we want to be associated with the Pac-10 because it’s such a great conference. Now that is saying nothing against the Big 12.” – Colorado president Bruce D. Benson
“The ramifications of the move will be felt throughout the Boulder campus and across the CU system. Being affiliated with prestigious schools such as Stanford, Cal and UCLA is likely to impact fundraising, research funding, faculty salaries and much more.
Colorado and the Pac-10 have been flirting with each other since the 1990s when the school was invited, along with Texas, to join the Pac-10. Both decided to stay in the fledgling Big 12. But with conference realignment speculation swirling around the nation in recent months, CU officials chose not to miss their chance again.” – Ringo
“Yes, Colorado is a good distance from the other schools of the Pac-10, but travel is not as much an issue as it once was. If you take out a map, it’s not any more difficult to get from Boulder to Berkeley than it is to get from Boulder to Waco. Plus, the largest out of state CU alumni base is in California.
Buff fans, notorious for not traveling well, will finally have an in-town presence to bolster road attendance.
Then there is the obvious.
Go ahead, Buff fans, make your choice: Would you rather travel to Ames or Seattle? Lubbock or Portland? Stillwater or San Francisco? Lawrence or Los Angeles? Waco or Phoenix?
Puh-lease.” – Stuart Whitehair, Bleacher Report
“So happy, don’t care if only Utah comes along or the big group we are going” – roxbombers, Ralphie Report commenter
“Good to see so many people care about the future of the program despite our recent struggles.
Feels good to be wanted and to get the first invite. All your asinine behavior didn’t really pay off now did it Baylor/Texas legislature?
Well, I’m still hoping a miracle happens and it just ends up being us and Utah, but either way hopefully this will lead to more success in the future.” – nebraskasux, Ralphie Report commenter
“I feel like this is a turning point for our program
The wave of excitement this is going to cause with students, faculty, alumni, and the athletes could be the start of a new era for CU. I really believe in 10 years we will look back on this as the point where we came out of the dark ages.” – buffsnbruins, Ralphie Report commenter
“Congrats to you all
I do think the PAC-10 is a great fit for CU athletics, but I am going to miss the day after Thanksgiving game between NU & CU. It was a love/hate relationship that will be missed (at least we have a few years left)” – VarangianGuard, Ralphie Report commenter
“As for whether any other schools might be coming on board, Scott couldn’t elaborate.
‘No invitations have been issued,’ he said. ‘There are still several different scenarios that we may or may not pursue.'” – ESPN.com
