The Pac-12 is in its final season of play before the teams disperse to other conferences, which means several Pac-12 rivalries will not play annually like they have for decades. This includes the rivalry between UCLA basketball and Arizona basketball, who will no longer be in the same conference after the 2023-2024 season.
This will be disappointing for fans as the two schools have been top competitors for the Pac-12 basketball title for years. In two regular season games between the Bruins and Wildcats in the 2022-2023 season, the two foes split the series 1-1. However, Arizona captured the Pac-12 conference title in a two point win over UCLA
UCLA basketball coach Mike Cronin got honest on where things stand when it comes to the Bruins and Wildcats scheduling matchups to play each other once they belong to different conferences.
Article Continues Below“UCLA and Arizona have not agreed to play beyond this season,” Mike Cronin said at Pac-12 Media Day Wednesday. “There have only been discussions up to this point,” per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Mick Cronin tells me via text message from Pac-12 Media Day the following regarding UCLA playing Arizona moving forward:
"UCLA and Arizona have not agreed to play beyond this season. There have only been discussions up to this point."
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 11, 2023
Besides UCLA and Arizona, the entire landscape of the Pac-12 is dispersing since the conference was unable to secure TV/media deals like the other conferences have. Stanford and Cal will stick together as they head to the ACC. Utah, ASU, Arizona and Colorado are heading to the Big 12 while UCLA, Washington, USC and Oregon move to the Big Ten. The main rivalries like Stanford-Cal and UCLA-USC are sticking together, but others including UCLA-Cal or UCLA-Arizona now will be in separate conferences.