Report: Colorado Regents Meeting to Discuss Legality of Conference Switch From Big 12, Major Announcement Wednesday

The Boulder Daily Camera is reporting that the secret meeting called by the University of Colorado Regents in downtown Denver Tuesday night is to discuss the legality of switching from the Big 12 conference to what is believed to be the Pac-10.

Orangebloods.com, a Texas Longhorn site, also suggests that Colorado is expecting to have a major announcement Wednesday.

Colorado is expected to have a major announcement on Wednesday, sources said.

If the specualation is true, Colorado could be preparing to accept a bid from the Pac-10 Conference, which has targeted the Buffaloes for expansion.

The move would undercut an attempt by Baylor to sway the Texas Legislature into helping the Bears get an invite ahead of Colorado.

It would also guarantee that the Pac-10 probably pulls off at least one of its plans presented to league presidents and chancellors at meetings over the weekend in San Francisco.

One has to wonder if a similar announcement is coming from the Big Ten regarding Notre Dame, Nebraska and Missouri to coincide with a potential annoucement tomorrow from the University of Colorado.

What does this all mean? Who knows if orangebloods.com is correct but the fact that the CU regents are meeting with legal entities should signify something is coming down the pipeline. Colorado is on the June 15th deadline from the Big 12 like Nebraska and Missouri so the potential for a quick offer from the Pac-10 is certainly understandable. If Colorado did receive an offer, one has to wonder if that means the Pac-10 is moving towards the proposal of adding just Colorado and Utah, instead of six teams for the Big 12. This would be the ideal situation for the Colorado Buffaloes by splitting away from the Big 12 and subsequently avoiding being grouped together with the rumored Big 12 South and the Arizona teams of the Pac-10.

Multiple reports suggest Chip Brown of orangebloods.com on a Portland radio station said he believes Colorado has an offer from the Pac-10 and that they will be accepting the offer tomorrow.

Orangebloods does bring up the concern that if the Big 12 does stay intact and Colorado is the only school to leave for the Pac-10, could the University of Colorado afford the $10.0 million buyout it would have to pay back to the Big 12? It is a valid question but something tells me the threat of playing in the Mountain West Conference coupled with the excitement of being a part of the Pac-10 both from a athletic and academic perspective may excite the alumni donor base. Also, getting the $500,000 buyout due from Jeff Bzdelik after he left the basketball head coaching position for Wake Forest earlier this year would help!