https://theathletic.com/4903436/2023/09/...ed_article

Mack Rhoades was pacing in his vacation home in New Mexico, starting to seriously fear the deal was falling apart. Brett Yormark was back home in New York on an endless run of phone calls. It wasn’t looking good.

Arizona was supposed to be across the finish line. The school had already requested and was approved for Big 12 membership. Yormark, the Big 12 commissioner, awaited final verbal confirmation late on the night of Aug. 3. Arizona president Bobby Robbins went into a Board of Regents meeting to get their blessing, anticipating the board would urge Arizona State to make a move. But Arizona State president Michael Crow, in a fervent effort to preserve the Pac-12, put up a good fight. Now Arizona’s plans were in doubt.

Meanwhile, what was going on with Oregon and Washington? The latest rumor was, contrary to reports, Oregon had turned down a Big Ten offer.

“We’re like, ‘You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,’” said Rhoades, the Baylor athletic director. “‘This thing ain’t gonna happen.’”...

The evening and night of Thursday, August 3 into the morning and afternoon of Friday, August 4 was the single most compelling 24 hours in collegiate athletics history.