University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
Brandon Judd
By Brandon Judd

For the first time since Friday’s news that the University of Utah is joining three other current Pac-12 teams in moving to the Big 12 Conference in 2024, Utes administrators discussed the move in a public setting.

Utah president Taylor Randall and athletic director Mark Harlan addressed the media and fielded questions during a press conference Monday morning, discussing why the school is headed to the Big 12 and what membership in the Pac-12 has meant to the university.

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University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Utah athletic director Mark Harlan speaks at a press conference regarding the University of Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Utah athletic director Mark Harlan speaks at a press conference regarding the University of Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall, left, and athletic director Mark Harlan speak at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Utah athletic director Mark Harlan speaks at a press conference regarding the University of Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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University of Utah President Taylor Randall speaks at a press conference regarding Utah’s move to the Big 12 Conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Re-watch the livestream of the press conference here:

Deseret News reporter Joe Coles (@JoeAColes) was on hand to provide coverage on what the administrators shared.

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