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Four Corners Program Makes Presence Known At Big 12 Tournament

Mar 13, 2024, 10:46 PM

Arizona Wildcats, Big 12 Tournament, Kansas City...

Future Big 12 member, the Arizona Wildcats, placed a billboard across from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. (Denny Medley/Big 12 Conference)

(Denny Medley/Big 12 Conference)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Big 12 is excited about its future with the “Four Corners” programs (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah). Commissioner Brett Yormark earlier this week said he’s “bullish” about the league’s outlook.

Well, one of those “Four Corners” schools shares the excitement for their future in the Big 12.

Arizona Wildcats put up a digital billboard at the Big 12 Tournament

The Arizona Wildcats placed a digital billboard in Kansas City’s Power & Light District across from the T-Mobile Center.

The message on the billboard read, “Get Ready To Bear Down,” with a Big 12 logo in Arizona colors at the bottom.

Arizona, along with the other Four Corners programs, joins the Big 12 officially on August 2, 2024.

Future of the Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12

The Arizona Basketball program is one of the crown jewels in the Big 12, adding the former Pac-12 institutions.

In Ken Pomeroy’s program rankings dating back to 1997, Arizona ranks as the seventh-best program in college basketball. They will join a league that is already viewed as the nation’s best basketball conference.

“My expectation is that we will have at least nine men’s teams in this year’s [NCAA] Tournament with the potential for as many as 11,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark earlier this week. “This is the best conference in basketball.”

Arizona is one of the few teams that will be representing the Pac-12 in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Under head coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats have once again established themselves among the best programs in the nation.

Arizona will open up its final Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday in Las Vegas when they take on the USC Trojans.

Big 12 Tournament will remain in Kansas City through 2031

Beginning next year, Arizona will be part of the fan makeup that attends the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

Yormark announced that the Big 12 Tournament will remain in Kansas City until the 2031 season.

“We are a national conference now. We’re in 10 states, four time zones, and 90 million people in our footprint. We’ve got a lot of optionality out there where we can take our championships,” Yormark said. “But when it came to Men’s and Women’s basketball and Women’s soccer, [Kansas City] needed to be our home.”

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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Four Corners Program Makes Presence Known At Big 12 Tournament