By Jay Berry
The Buffaloes are highly hyped, but it’s unlikely that they will relive their previous Big 12 and Big 8 success in 2024.
Their win total projection for the upcoming season is 5.5 games, and making it to a bowl game would be considered a successful season. Now, let’s explore the Buffaloes’ history with their new conference.
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Return to the Big 12
Colorado will rejoin the Big 12 in 2024, marking a new chapter in the program’s history.
College football conference realignment has been finalized, with teams transitioning to their new conferences, except for the PAC-12 schools, which will leave the conference on August 2nd. One of those programs is returning to familiar territory.
The University of Colorado’s football program has a history with the Big 12, as it was a charter member of the conference from 1996 to 2010. Here are some key points about their history and return to the Big 12.
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Initial Departure
In 2010, the Buffaloes left the Big 12 to join the Pac-12 Conference due to concerns about conference stability and their desire for a better geographic and cultural fit.
Texas A&M left for the SEC, Nebraska moved to the Big Ten, and Missouri also joined the SEC. However, the Big 12’s demise did not happen. Instead, the Pac-12 is now seeing teams join the Big 12. Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are joining Colorado in this move.
Circumstances Leading to the Return
Ten Pac-12 schools left the conference for multiple other conferences, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State, effectively putting the Pac-12 out of business after 108 years of college athletics.
The Big 12’s expansion and the overall changes in the college football landscape created an opportunity for Colorado to rejoin the conference.
Returning to the Big 12 offers the school $31 million annualy from TV revenue.
Conference Championships
The Buffaloes won conference championships in 1961, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 2001 while in the Big 8 and Big 12. The 1990 team finished with a record of 11-1-1 and ended the season with a 10-9 win over Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day in 1991. Colorado earned a split national championship with Georgia Tech. Colorado was ranked first in the AP poll, while the Coaches poll placed the Yellow Jackets at the top.
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The 1990 national championship team was led by the program’s all-time leading rusher, Eric Bieniemy.
- Unanimous All-American in 1990
- Finished 3rd in the 1990 Heisman Trophy voting
- Two-time All-Big 8 selection; named 1990 Offensive Player of the Year
- Holds the record for most career rushing yards at CU
History of Colorado in the Big 8
The conference was established in 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA). Over the years, the conference experienced several membership changes, with schools leaving and joining. In 1996, the Big 8 Conference dissolved, and its members formed the Big 12 Conference.
Big 8 Membership
The University of Colorado joined the Big 8 Conference in December 1947 after leaving the Mountain States Conference, also known as the Skyline Conference.
Colorado’s addition led to an unofficial name change to the Big Seven Conference. When Oklahoma State joined in 1957, the conference became known as the Big Eight. In the Big 8, Colorado won football conference championships in 1961, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991. Colorado left the Big 8 in 1996 when the conference dissolved, and its members formed the Big 12 Conference.
Recent times
Colorado has recorded only three winning seasons in the last 20 years, with their most recent in 2016.
Deion Sanders informed USA Today that he intends to stay in Colorado for ten years. While this goal seems ambitious, given the rapid changes in college football, only time will tell. Let’s see if the team can improve from last season as they face both new and familiar opponents.
