Arizona Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois highlighted the cultural advantages of competing in a league made up of college towns, saying the move away from large urban markets is a positive step for the Wildcats and the Big 12.
“We’re not going to Los Angeles,” Reed-Francois said. “We’re not going to the East Bay. And we’re not going to Palo Alto anymore,” Reed-Francois said in a recent appearance, a pointed comment about the Pac-12’s old footprint. Her remarks underline how the Big 12’s profile is increasingly centered on traditional college towns where athletics drive community identity.
The contrast is significant. In Los Angeles or the Bay Area, professional sports dominate the market, and college programs often fight for attention. In a town like Tucson, the university and its teams serve as the heart of local culture. Reed-Francois made clear that she sees value in this alignment, not only for Arizona but also for the health of the Big 12 as a whole.
For the Wildcats, instead of traveling to major metro hubs where college football struggles to compete with larger entertainment industries, Arizona now heads to places where Saturdays are community-wide events. Towns like Manhattan, Ames, Waco, and Stillwater provide environments where the local economy and university athletics are closely connected.
Reed-Francois’s words also hint at the long-term strategy behind Arizona’s move. The Big 12 may not deliver the population numbers that Los Angeles or the Bay Area can, but it offers a competitive culture that keeps fan engagement high and television products strong. For programs like Arizona, where the fan base is passionate and traditions are deeply rooted, being part of a league with like-minded schools creates a sense of belonging that stretches beyond media markets.
Her remarks are another reminder of the philosophical differences between the new-look Big 12 and leagues that continue to chase large population centers. For Arizona, the focus now shifts to proving that aligning with college towns is not only culturally appealing but also a model that sustains success on the field.
