Pac-10 officials said Thursday that Colorado will be joining their conference, marking what might be the first in a wave of defections from the Big 12 Conference.
An announcement appeared Thursday morning on the Pac 10 website: "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."
The Denver Post reported that the expanded Pac-10 -- possibly the Pac-16 -- conference might be ready by the 2012 football season.
"This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth," said Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott. "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 move, which adds another live animal to the sidelines at Pac-10 football games, was reported earlier by The Sporting News.
A news conference regarding the decision was scheduled for Friday morning, according to the Pac 10 website.
The Sporting News also reported that announcements are expected soon from other Big 12 schools, including Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
It's likely an expanded conference would be split into divisions with the original schools forming one division and the new schools forming the other.
On Wednesday, The Houston Chronicle reported that Nebraska accepted an invitation to join the Big Ten though the school has made no formal announcement.
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An announcement would likely mean the 14-year-old Big 12 would dissolve.
