Pac-12 to start in 2011

The Pac-10 released a statement Tuesday announcing that Colorado will be joining the Pac-10 conference as of 2011.

Colorado and Utah will now join the conference together.  It was previously reported that Colorado would not join the conference until 2012 because of haggling over exit fees/withholding of conference revenue issues with the Big XII.  ESPN.com's Ted Miller reports that Colorado will surrender $6.863 million in Big XII revenue, in order to leap to the Pac-10 in 2011 (almost $3 million less than Nebraska gave up to jump ship to the Big Ten).  

The agreement will prevent Colorado from having to play an awkward 2011 season in the Big 12, where the Buffs would have starred as the girl who cheated on you, is dumping you for her new west-coast boyfriend, but just hasn't moved all her stuff out yet.  Nice to avoid moments like that. 

The 2011 move also allows the soon-to-be-changed Pac-12 to split into two divisions, and add a conference championship game.  Commence the division-split controversy.