Colorado State’s move to the Pac-12 from the Mountain West is huge news to fans, alumni, and President Amy Parsons.

Parsons and Athletic Director John Weber have been making the rounds this Thursday filled with breaking news. And they were gracious enough to spend time talking to our Nate Lundy and Shawn Drotar about the huge news.

Amy Parsons on the Pac-12, “Who wouldn’t want to be part of that brand?”

The Pac-12 was founded way back in 1915 and has evolved over time. Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, and Cal were all original members, with Washington State and Stanford joining a few years later.

In recent years, the conference was well known for it’s late-night, barn-burning games. “Pac-12 After Dark” is what fans affectionately called their games that went late because teams were located in the Pacific Time Zone, extending Saturday football into the wee hours of Sunday mornings.

Their brand included great rivalries and competitive teams in football, basketball, and Olympic sports.

“To be part of the history and tradition of the Pac-12. It’s such a storied league. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that brand and the history of it?” Parsons said, excitedly to the Mile High Sports crew on Thursday. “And then to also be a part of the rebuild of it.”

Joining the Pac-12 is a huge deal for Colorado State because it means the possibility of moving up to a Power 5 conference. The Pac-12 was a Power 5 until this year, when 10 teams departed, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State.

Those two schools now control a $250 million war chest, in which around $110 million will be paid to the Mountain West for Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State.

The quarter-billion dollars comes from their previous television deal and other revenue distribution streams. Now there’s hope the rebuilt Pac-12 will eventually work a new television deal like the AAC did with ESPN, which totaled $1 billion for 12 years. That’ll mean a massive revenue boost to Colorado State and the rest of the soon-to-be constructed Pac-12.

“We’re excited to be part of the Pac-12 Network,” Parsons explained.

Who will the Pac-12 try to recruit next? Colorado State AD John Weber wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag.

“We have a lot of work to do before we make those decisions,” Weber said. “I’d like to see us build out a conference the right way…We’re gonna look different, we’re gonna behave different.”

Watch Parsons and Weber’s entire interview with Mile High Sports below.