SALT LAKE CITY, June 17 (UPI) -- The University of Utah announced Thursday it would accept an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference, thus expanding the league to 12 schools.
Utah joined former Big 12 member Colorado in jumping to the Pac-10, which originally had hoped to become a 16-team super conference. Various members of the Big 12, chief among them the University of Texas, turned down the Pac-10's invitation to join this week.
"The addition of the University of Utah as the conference's 12th member continues to strengthen the Pac-10's goals of becoming the country's leader in college athletics," said Commissioner Larry Scott, who attended a news conference at Utah's football stadium. "The University of Utah is a great academic and athletic fit and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Pac-10."
Utah leaves the Mountain West Conference, which had been lobbying for an automatic BCS bowl berth. The Mountain West brought in Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference last week.
Utah and Colorado are the first additions to the Pac-10 since Arizona and Arizona State joined in 1978.
