RJ Smith didn’t pick Colorado strictly because of the annual road games back in his Southern California home turf. But it certainly was a perk he was looking forward to.
The move to the Big 12 becomes official this season for the Colorado men’s basketball team, which opened preseason practice on Monday at the CU Events Center. The Buffaloes won’t play a conference game for another three months, but joining the premier league in men’s college basketball has been a welcome proposition throughout the offseason.
Smith, a third-year guard, never played a road game in the Pac-12 after his 2023-24 season ended after seven games due to injury (Smith redshirted the previous year). But he’s not complaining about CU’s new conference home.
“I definitely wish I was able to play at UCLA or USC. Both at home, visit my mom and stuff,” Smith said. “But I think the Big 12 is a good move for CU. Better competition and more exposure and everything. I think it’s a good opportunity for us and we’re ready to take on the challenge.”
Raucous crowds
Boyle believes the biggest adjustment necessitated by the move to the Big 12 won’t involve talent or recruiting, but getting accustomed to one raucous road arena after another.
“Here’s what I know. When we left the Big 12 to come to the Pac-12, we were leaving a really good league and coming into a really good league,” Boyle said. “Now that we’re leaving the Pac-12 back to the Big 12, we’re leaving a really good league that dissolved and we’re going back to a really good league.
“There was really good coaches in the Pac-12 last year. There’s really good coaches in the Big 12 this year. There was really good players in the Pac-12 last year. There’s good players in the Big 12 this year. The difference is the venues. The venues in in which we play on the road in the Big 12 are significantly more difficult than the ones in the Pac-12, outside of Arizona. And that’s the difference.”
Notable
On Monday, the Big 12 announced an extension of its men’s basketball broadcast agreement with CBS, which is a sublicense with the league’s agreement with ESPN. CBS previously aired a minimum of six Big 12 games on its platforms (including Paramount+) but the new agreement increases that minimum total to 26 through the 2026-27 season. … CU expects to host its annual Black and Gold intramural scrimmage (free and open to the public) ahead of the Kansas State football game on Oct. 12, but the time will not be determined until the football kickoff time is announced.
