Season 3 of WoW's Arena is rumored for release with the 2.3 content patch. A new tier of epic PvP armor and weapons is expected, while the old season 1 gear is "downgraded" to battleground status and will become purchasable for honor. Drysc also clarified the rating requirement for the Season 3 weapons, hinting at a new mechanism to prevent team hopping.
You will only need a specific rating to purchase the items, it won't be required for their use. If you hit 1900 (for instance, this isn't a final number by any means) you'll be able to purchase and use the items, and if you dip below that you won't be able to buy them, but you'll be able to continue using those you've already purchased.
We're also well aware that this could potentially encourage players to join higher rated teams for a chance to obtain the items, and at later time we'll be discussing the solution coming that will prohibit it.
The original post can be found here.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/threa ... 1&sid=1#13