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Dan Beebe, take a bow. You earned it.
Tagged toes pointing to the ceiling, the Big 12 was on its way to the burial grounds until Beebe resuscitated it by doing what conference commissioners are supposed to do. He squeezed every last penny of television money available and told the remaining 10 members what that meant for them. He determined what each and every institution needed to hear to stay put. He convinced them why it all made sense to survive as a 10-member conference for now.
The man’s a smart guy with a firm handshake and a down-to-earth vibe that makes him a guy with whom you want to keep doing business. And he displayed thick-enough skin to keep forging ahead when things looked dire, as the vultures from the Pac-10 circled above.
For Kansas University, it’s not quite time to erect a statue of Beebe to put next to the one of Phog outside Allen Fieldhouse, but a nice ovation, maybe even a “Thank you Beebe (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)” is in order when he next shows his face at a KU football or basketball game.
Don’t fall into the temptation of thinking the conference is diminished because Nebraska departed for the Big Ten. Sure, the football games against the Cornhuskers, especially those in Lincoln, where the atmosphere is among the nation’s best, will be missed. But now, with all nine conference foes on the schedule, either Texas or Oklahoma will play in Memorial Stadium every year.
With 10 teams instead of 12, less is more. Kansas will have a slightly tougher schedule in football and a markedly more difficult one in basketball, and when it comes to schedules, unlike golf courses, tougher always means better.
The subtraction of Colorado and Nebraska greatly improves the basketball league. For KU, the automatic four victories against the Buffaloes and ’Huskers will be replaced by extra games against Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Another way of looking at it: Kansas played eight conference games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2010. Under the new schedule, they would have played 12 Big 12 games against tourney teams.
Staying in the conference allows new football coach Turner Gill to keep Texas as the school’s No. 1 recruiting base. Most boys grow up wanting to play for the Longhorns. Those deemed not good enough to wear the burnt orange immediately want to do the next best thing, which, of course, is to try to beat the ’Horns, make them regret the snub.
The next order of business for Beebe will be to get the NCAA to change the rule that requires a conference to have 12 teams in order to play a football conference championship game. Considering the Big 12 was raided, he ought to be able to play up the sympathy angle on that one.
If he succeeds in doing so, the Big 12 then has the power in terms of expansion plans. It can remain highly selective: Aim for adding Arkansas and Notre Dame. That would renew the Arkansas-Texas rivalry and give the conference two huge TV draws in ND and UT. Failing that, think bitter rivals Pittsburgh and West Virginia from the Big East, a move that would enrich the football conference and bring Bob Huggins back to Big 12 basketball arenas.
Comments
dchon 3 years ago
Keegan, you did so well until now.
jchief40 3 years ago
Elaborate.
dustfan 3 years ago
Notre Dame - I don't know what the chances are for that but it would really stick it to the Big 10. A few days ago it looked like the Big 12 was over. Now Texas stands up the PAC 10, coming off as a flirt looking for a better deal at home. If ND, whom the B10 has coveted for decades, joins the B12 along with Arkansas it would cement the B12 as the 2nd best football conference and may even elevate them to the top BBall conference. What a difference a couple of days make!
LenexaJHawkFan 3 years ago
Don't get too excited about Arkansas leaving the SEC for the Big 12. Arkansas left the old Southwest Conference for many of the same reasons Nebraska bolted. It was an ugly divorce, and life in the SEC would have to be unbearable for the Razorbacks to return to a conference dominated by Texans.
lv_jhwk 3 years ago
Just. Can't. Do. It.
While I will give Beebe some credit for keeping everything from crumbling completely, he still has to be held accountable for the fact that anything happened to begin with. He was rather naive about the process initially and slow to react afterwards, and as a result he seemed to be operating from a position of desperation rather than power.
The biggest question I would have for Beebe is how much of this new package could have been put together before NU and CU left. Did their defection actually serve to strengthen the conference's case somehow, or was it just the impetus necessary to bring all parties (schools, networks, anyone else involved) together?
lv_jhwk 3 years ago
Okay, maybe I need to lighten up on Beebe just a bit. I say that after reading the article linked below, which details some of the points that Beebe made to the schools to keep the conference together. The article itself contains a link to the actual document that was sent out to all twelve schools early last week before the defections took place.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/06/15/texas.big.12/index.html?eref=sihp
Still not going to thank him for anything though.
dagger108 3 years ago
NU would most definitely have left. TO hates the premadonna status of TU, the unequal revenue, and TexasTV. All that has happened only reaffirms NU's decision to leave.
mjprcjh0314 3 years ago
Maybe the whole entire thing was orchestrated to make everyone think the conference would disolve to force the networks to step up, just a thought? Brilliant if so, but I doubt the whole thing was planned.
Corkwis 3 years ago
Thank Beebe? For being Texas's puppet?
Come on now, this was Texas's plan the entire time. Scare the crap out of the Big 12 then "miraculously" have a new TV deal and a lot of terms that favor who? Oh yeah, Texas.
Nebraska called the bluff and left. Colorado...well, who cares about Colorado? The rest fell into Texas's hands. Now the rest of the teams in the league truly are serfs to Lord Texas.
The only thing Beebe did is act as the mouthpiece for Texas and released the information about the new TV deal when they wanted him to.
Pinocchio deserves no praise for surrendering all freewill to Texas.
OCJHAWK 3 years ago
Agree
dagger108 3 years ago
Well said.
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
Hmm. No thanks. Because of the uneven distribution of revenue, I think that will cause problems because the schools that are receiving less might want more in the future. I don't see Big 12's problems going away anytime soon. Missouri will bolt if they have a chance to.
patrick_raftery 3 years ago
KU will bolt if we have the chance (or at least we should).
jchief40 3 years ago
What makes you think we deserve an equal share of the revenue that we earn from television when Texas is the biggest reason we earn what we earn?? I think we all just need to wake up and smell the coffee beans here. If the tables were reversed we'd be doing the same dang thing!@!@!@
Bear86 3 years ago
jchief: Why don't you move to Austin and suck on UT's #%@* ! They are the reason Nebraska left and have now gotten their way in this new deal Bebbe was able to salvage. KU should get out of the same conference as UT so the revenue sharing is equal & fair. That is how it is done in the Big 10 & Pac 10. Take note Big 12 Lite.
jchief40 3 years ago
Big 10 would be the only other option. Pac 10 is out of the question. As it stands right now we (the current Big 12) are a stronger conference than the PAC.
dagger108 3 years ago
If Texas really is so much greater than the rest - deserving their own TV network/revenue seperate from the rest of the conference, they should be independent like ND (FB). The reality is they aren't big enough to make it on their own, and they need the conference.
jchief40 3 years ago
Not even Notre Dame is going to make the same money as some other conferences here - which is why the Big 10 would be a good choice for them. They can make more money in a conference. The days of independents are numbered. But the biggest point here is that Texas is the revenue driver and I am not opposed to them getting a bigger piece of the pie as a result. In this new deal I think everybody wins. Our profits go up substantially too. To me - that's FAIR. Don't compare us to the Big 10 or the PAC. Our situation is unique. Texas makes the conference viable. Texas makes us what we are. Like or not. If Texas were out of the picture would be still be a conference? NO! If they get more I can understand why!!!!
Krohnutz 3 years ago
Explain to me how UT is driving our revenue? We play a basketball game on ESPN against Memphis and somehow you think UT is driving that?
UT drives one market, Texas. If you took Kansas and inserted them into any other conference we would have the same result. Which is:
11am football games so we can get airtime. Big Monday basketball games because we are ranked in the top five. *Saturday afternoon basketball games on CBS because we are ranked in the top five.
We have ranked in the top five (usually third) in televison revenue for this pile of crap conference for half this millenium and yet we are third tier?
None of that comes from UT. We got lumped into this garbage because we had to "stay with our in-state rivals." Nice.
If Texass were out of the picture you bet your ass we would be a conference. A functional one. God we are gutless, sellouts. I have never been less proud of my state.
We were a conference before they got here, a damn successful one, some people forget that. Oh wait, we just lost one of those original members, wonder why...
DevilHawk 3 years ago
Population centers and associated TV markets are based on many different factors. Virtually all of those factors are outside the control of the state, and they are definitely outside the control of the individual schools.
aerohawk 3 years ago
Exactly, it doesn't matter how good Texas really is, rather how good the people who pay to watch believe they are.
aerohawk 3 years ago
When Kansas has eight times the population of Texas the situation will be reversed.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
So a game between Kansas and anybody not named University of Texas-Austin, the reason it earns so-and-so money is because of UT?
I have been reading your posts for like three days now, you need to fess up to being a UT troll, be honest.
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
I will only forgive Beebe if he gets Notre Dame or any other schools that has the same caliber as NU and CU to join Big 12.
MDHawk 3 years ago
Same caliber as CU, huh...assuming you mean athletics, that leaves Beebe with a broad list of options. Wichita State, perhaps? Do JuCo's count?
OCJHAWK 3 years ago
nice :-)
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
Well, Pac-10 didn't want KU but wanted CU and offered them a deal right away. Did KU get any offers? No. KU needs to step up so we don't lose to schools like CU. Next time if this happens again, I hope our school gets offered first rather than being leftovers.
KU08 3 years ago
PAC-10 wanted the Denver market. CU's academic or athletic caliber had very little to do with its invitation to the PAC-10.
coyhawk 3 years ago
Before you go annointing Beebe as your savior, read this atricle:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5286816
This was posted by someone else last night. Beebe was far from the most influential player in all this. He should have been working on these television contracts as foresight, not as a last act of desperation to save a conference. Beebe must go!
lighthawk 3 years ago
ditto ditto ditto ditto ditto asleep at the switch, then woke up, no thanks.
jayhawkerjoel 3 years ago
Thanks for the link coyhawk. Any competent person in Beebe's position should have been able to pull this off with all the players at the table pushing life back into the B12.
jchief40 3 years ago
Get off Beebe's case you idiots. The only reason why we are getting that dollar amount for the schools is because Colorado and Nebraska left!! Don't you realize that those two HAD to leave before this opportunity presented itself??? Beebe is in the clear in my book. I am happy about the new schedule format and stronger RPI basketball conference. This is awesome. And for what it's worth - I do not think we should be firing anybody. You read a few articles and all of a sudden you have the balls to call for certain peoples heads. Probably the same people that want Lew fired!
doolindalton 3 years ago
Beebe deserves thanks if you like the Big 12 as a conference. I was looking forward eagerly toward being free of the almighty UT and mercifully winding up in the Big East.
Maracas 3 years ago
According to Andy Katz at ESPN, Beebe didn't have much to do with this at all. He just happened to be there when it happened.
jchief40 3 years ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
jimbo831 3 years ago
Notre Dame?? Really?? Notre Dame has no interest in joining the Big 12. It is unlikely but possible that they would join the Big East full time, but most likely they would join the Big Ten. I don't think a single person in the know has ever mentioned the possibility of them jumping to the Big 12. It just isn't a fit, academically or athletically. The Big Ten is a perfect fit.
I just hope the Big 12 isn't holding out for this pipe dream and is actually exploring real possibilities for expansion. Let's not bank on the NCAA changing the rule to allow a conference championship for the league and fill those two holes. There are teams out there that can be had, and the Big 12 should start with the likes of Memphis, Arkansas, and the MWC.
mjprcjh0314 3 years ago
The league should be agressive and be work for something big. Landing Notre Dame would be big, and Notre Dame might would do it since, at least in my opinion, they would rather do anytinng but join the big 10 if it came down that they had to do something. It presents the same problems for them as Nebraska had in the big 12, they just can't allow michigan and ohio state being in control, so maybe in the big 12 they could be on par with texas, just saying, why is it not possible?
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-big12save061410
Read this article. There's a group of influential people that made Big 12 survive. They don't want to be known because fearing the backlash of Larry scott and his pac 10. They are our heros not Beebe. Beebe needs to do more to redeem himself.
Brock 3 years ago
As usual, Keegan missed the story.
OCJHAWK 3 years ago
The omly (ok main) thing that kept the B 12 together was TX realizing the couldn't control the PAC 10.
oxcaljayhawk 3 years ago
Exactly right. They wouldn't be able to push around Stanford, the UC Schools, USC and they knew it. Instead, they shakedown all the chicken littles. Shameful.
bradh 3 years ago
Beebe was dealt a rotten hand and did what he could with it. He wasn't around when the Big 8 opted to take the snake UT to its breast and agreed to an uneven cut of revenues (funny thing is, as I recall it was NU and UT that insisted on the uneven distribution and held up the rest of us). From what I've read, he tried to get the group to expand, to renegotiate tv contracts and the like and the member institutions blocked him. I feel sorry for anyone who has to try to lead this group of sparring schools.
jayhawkinATL 3 years ago
Beebe should have been more proactive. He sat on his hands until it was almost too late. Part of me wishes he would have been.
lighthawk 3 years ago
TK the real story is your school, MIssou lifted her skirts for her dream date to prom, Big 10 and when left at the altar for Huskers, blamed horns. She was played and the the chump, then the Big 10 Rose bowl 'partner' Pac 10, witnessed easy pickens in our garden and came looting our fruit. loose lips sink ships and MU revelations of the Big 12 books almost doomed our conf.
For this article, Beebee is a boob or a UT HOrns lap dawg, off with his head. your article value? - your source can be re/established for future news leaks I trust.
KUHawkhead 3 years ago
The only thing Beebe deserves credit for is for letting this blindside all of us and blow up supposedly without his knoweldge. Dude is f---ing clueless.
RCJHKU!
drewdun 3 years ago
This article is satire, right?
Right?
Anyone that thinks that Beebe deserves anything other than walking papers following this debacle is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Beebe, and by extension the entire leadership of the Big XII and member institutions, looked absolutely pathetic throughout this.
I usually try not to bash the feature writers here, but good Lord. This is easily one of Keegan's articles.
drewdun 3 years ago
Easily one of Keegan's worst articles. Need more coffee.
jchief40 3 years ago
Great article - not sure about the choice of schools. I think adding schools takes away my new and improved conference schedule format !! =)
sshroyer 3 years ago
No, no, no. Why should Beebe take a bow for doing his job? That is, if you consider letting two of your members leave for better situations under your watch "doing your job." Beebe made the Big 12 unattractive to Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado and, for all intents and purposes, the entire South Division and did nothing to keep the situation from spiraling out of control other than say he was "comfortable" with where the conference was. Nothing. He twiddled his thumbs and hoped for the best. Only by Texas A&M not bolting west with its brothers was Beebe allowed enough time to pull together a plan that will have the Big 12 right back where it is now in 10 years. If Beebe wants a pat on the back, he needs to redeem himself. Go out and pick off TCU, Boise State, Utah, BYU, Houston and Arkansas. Go for blood. The Mountain West thought it could benefit from your demise? Kill the Mountain West. Then maybe I'd let Beebe keep his job — at a reduced salary, of course. The conference owes a lot of money to Texas now, after all.
windycityhawk 3 years ago
I agree - let's grab CSU and Airforce, take back the Denver market, and hire the Mountain West commish. I can see the headlines now The Texas Nation vs The US Airforce
On another note the Chicago Tribune is reporting the Big 10 is done with expanding serveral presidents have said they would not vote for anymore teams, so maybe ND may be available. If they can keep their contract with NBC why not?
sava12 3 years ago
Windycity you're full of hot air. CSU and Air Force are not the markets you want. They play the second string to CU in Colorado. Denver media always reports heavily on CU and reserves the back pages for Air Force and CSU. The market for CSU is small and not wide spread outside of Colorado. Let's breathe new life into Wichita State!
sshroyer 3 years ago
Seeing how football has fueled all of this mess, WSU makes no sense...although it would be fun putting the Suckers in their place twice a year in men's basketball and hopefully at least once a year in baseball.
shimjhawk2002 3 years ago
one more article to add though not sure if it's similar to what the others posted. This one basically said that ESPN and Fox were the ones whom saved the day.
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1094372
lbranchcrewKU 3 years ago
It might just be me but this whole revenue sharing thing seems a little awkward. I understand the idea of wanting equal revenue sharing among institutions but i don't see that type of thinking in any other aspect of economic thought. You don't pay every salesman at a company the same. Performance dictates reward right? You don't see teams in the NBA or any professional sport for that matterwhere every player makes the same sallery. It just seems a little odd to me that people are so stuck on revenue sharing when Texas obviously adds more to the pot than anyone. KU has the abbility to gain higher revenues but it has to start by getting more fans to games. And I'm not talking about those games that are always sold out. I'm talking about the Girls BBall games, the mens baseball games, the football games, and any of the athletics programs where we can show KU support and help build its national brand. One last note. Does anyone else think that Beebe should get roughly an 8% decrese in his salary for each school that defected. Personally i think his pocket should be 16% lighter next year and each year following until he replaces them with someone of eqaul caliber.
FWontheKaw 3 years ago
Who cares about the alchoholic Huggiebear? A blink of an eye at Silo Tech and now I'm supposed to feel the hate? There's plenty of sweet cherry picking to do right here, in our own region. Pitt, WV, and ND are off the mark and off our map.
kranny 3 years ago
We're giving Beebe credit for what he should have done in the first place? If it wasn't for Beebe and a few other commissioners, we would have a 16 team playoff and the B(S)CS would have faded into the sunset. He simply was forced to make decisions so the big boys wouldn't bail out. If he trully wants to be canonized, he should get NU and CU back into the Big 12. Hindsight is always 20/20.
jchief40 3 years ago
20/20 - which is why we shouldn't be calling for his head either.
sevenyearhawk 3 years ago
Maybe Beebe should have had a better television deal in the first place ...
jchief40 3 years ago
I think this is more TV execs noticing all of a sudden the ramifications of having these new megaconferences and them ponying up to prevent loss of profits. So without this tense period of activity there was no driver for change. I mean did people REALLY think that this would happen even a month ago? I mean on THAT scale? I don't think so.
kranny 3 years ago
This has been in the works for over a year. Beebe refused to take it seriously. I'm not calling for his head. I'm simply refuting the point of this article. It's BS. He has simply been reactionary and not this big "savior" that the article makes him out to be. Of course I'm reacting to headlines and will never know the dirt behind the scenes but the BCS is bullsh(t and there should be a playoff system. Without that the champion will continue to be controlled by a frickin' computer and a bunch of journalism hacks.
daverinoku 3 years ago
Aim for adding Arkansas and Notre Dame.
ND not likely, but that's the level of schools we need to add.
oxcaljayhawk 3 years ago
How hard was it to talk UT into staying, when it would be receiving more money and keeping more power than if it went to the P10? Plus, a thorn in its side (NU) would be gone and so would the B12 championship game, with its potential to thwart a UT Nat'l championship drive. Why, it's almost as if this is what UT planned all along...
TexasHawk44 3 years ago
In the end, it doesn't really matter how things happened. Most of you are missing the point. Point is that KU B-ball stays on top of the mountain. Coach Self is happy. Recruiting will stay strong and things will continue to be well in Jayhawk Land. On top of all of this, KU will make more money. All of these are good things.
Texas did what any school in their position would do. They weighed their options and then leveraged their influence to their best end. I, for one, am happy as hell that the conference is staying together. Who gives a damn about Colorado or Nebraska? This will stay a strong BCS conference and will remain at 10 teams. That is how they have the revenue where it is at with the new TV proposal.
Quit flogging Keegan and Beebe. Keegan is usually off on his own planet somewhere-- we all know that. And as for Beebe, he fell asleep at the wheel and nearly ditched it but he did wake up in time to (with a lot of help) pull it back on to the road at the last moment.
Be happy, Jayhawks!
This is the best scenario for KU. I am really happy that it worked out this way. Put down your stones and pick up a glass of bubbly!
KU08 3 years ago
+1
kranny 3 years ago
The reason for the stones is to refute the point of the article which is making Beebe out to be a savior which is complete BS. He simply reacted and cowtowed to the big boys and left everybody else out of the loop until time tells the real story.
JBurtin 3 years ago
No doubt that we should have had a better TV deal to start with; however, I don't think that there's any way he could have negotiated the current deal without Colorado and Nebraska leaving.
I think Fox saw that they were about to lose the whole freaking confererence and none of the places that the schools were going were going to give Fox the time of day for their TV deal. This put the Big 12 in the driver's seat. Pony up the cash to match the Big 10 TV deal, or lose us all.
I'm actually really excited with where this leaves Kansas. Nebraska's stadium was huge in the Big 12, but it's just another stadium in the Big 10. They'll do ok, but I think that there will be quite a few Texas kids that will be turned off by having to play every single game in a cold climate.
We're now uniquely poised to pick up kids that don't mind having seasons, but wouldn't mind an occassional trip down to sunny Texas in the dead of winter. We'll now get to do that much more often. We even have the potential to start snagging a few Nebraska kids that don't want to play too far from home, but would like an occassional warm day.
Texas is the ultimate power in the South, but with a basketball program that is already excellent and an up and coming football program I have a feeling that this will put us in position to become a powerful force in the North. Nebraska's shadow made it difficult to climb out from under the weight of the forty years of neglect that our football program endured. Every time we played them it felt like our players had to play against not only the foe, but the ridiculous 39 year losing streak. Even though Oklahoma and Texas currently have better programs than Nebraska I feel like there's less weight on us when we play them because there simply isn't quite such a dismal history there.
JayhawkBigXII 3 years ago
Personally, this 10 team line-up suits me just fine. It's like a reversion to the Big 8 in some ways... never liked the conference championship game anyway with our heavy-weights beating each other up.
But the BIG 12 name and logo has to go. How about South Central Conference? Or West Central? Wild West?
FLJHK 3 years ago
I'm content with the 10-team league, for now. But this situation remains fluid and volatile.
Future expansion must now remain permanently on the table. And yes, the prospect of a Notre Dame is clearly a pipedream. But consider this: the Big 12, more so than any other conference to my knowledge, is willing to accept not only unequal revenue sharing, but the allowance of individual institutions setting up their own TV networks. In reality, that is a game changing situation, and the Big 12 is presently the pioneer in that regard. It's not totally inconceivable that Notre Dame could have some interest in that scenario; it's not something they are ever likely to get from the Big 10. In this admittedly unlikely event, the Big 12 would have its choice of a new 12th member.
So there's no current need for radical action; a 10-team conference works well for now. But the Big 12 administration needs to be proactive and creative in looking to the future. Adding marginal schools simply to get to a magical 12-team league is not the way to go at this time.
HighEliteMajor 3 years ago
Ok, so I'm drunk and drive my car into light pole, and I get praise for taking it to a mechanic and getting it fixed?
Beebe "saved" a conference that he nearly destroyed by inaction and lack of foresight.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
Good analogy. Beebe even looked punch drunk in most pictures.
WilburNether 3 years ago
And the reason why we would want to bring Bob THuggins back to Big 12 basketball arenas is...............???
OK, it would be amusing to see the kitty cats at Allen Field House West hissing and snarling when THuggins came to town, but other than that...???
kcglowboy 3 years ago
Notre Dame? Seriously, Keegan? T'was a great column until the end. What happened, you submit the column and discover you were two inches short so you decided to tack on that joke ending?
kugrad93 3 years ago
Get a clue, Keegan.
jhokfan 3 years ago
Give Beebe credit but there were a lot of people outside the conference who intervened in the best interest of college athletics.
Intercourse Delaney and the Big 10 for their greed and recklessness that started all this. In Nebraska’s final season I hope they get routed by Texas as a goodbye gift and Ohio State gets dismantled again by an SEC opponent in the national title game.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
I stopped reading after line one.
I refuse to read something that I know is drivel.
"Thunder" Dan did not come up with this plan to save the Big 12, he had it fed to him by people that do not want it publicly known. Who would have vested interest in the survival of the Big 12 and still need to deal with the Pac-10 in the near future? ESPN comes to mind. The NCAA comes to mind.
Stop the hero talk right now, the guy deserves to be fired.
jhokfan 3 years ago
I would love to have Notre Dame for no other reason than to piss off Big 10 comish but as a fan I am content with 10 teams. I guess they will abolish the north and south divisions now.
BCRavenJHawkfan 3 years ago
Another example of the incompitent rising to the top.
It all seems peachie right now, but the guy still has to deliver the goods. And a tall order it is. Increased revenue for the remaining schools, and this will be done without a championship game? (although I like the idea of everyone playing everyone and turning out a true conference winner.) So, what happens after the first year when all parties involved are not happy because the promises didn't come through?
I am currious, who does Beebe answer to officially? If it is the Presidents/Chancellors/AD's of the conference schools, my bet is the guy is on a short rope. And it is a rope he fashioned on his own accord. Bye Bye Bee Be.
HighEliteMajor 3 years ago
The comeback is so obvious I'll pass on it ....
Krohnutz 3 years ago
So I finally read this thing, and I was eating lunch, not a good combo.
Keegs, I'm sure Dan has a firm handshake, his wrists and forearms probably get a lot of work doing the "shake weight" on every official from Texas.
The talk of Notre Dame is insane and yet has merit. Check this out:
1) Notre Dame will not go to a conference because of their TV contract. They have turned down the Big 10 so many times they almost need to stop asking.
2) However, what one conference is willing to let "certain" special members (I use the word 'member' with multiple meanings, giggity) have a larger slice of the pie? The Big 12-2, obviously, has no problem catering to certain schools. So yeah, if ND were to join a conference, I'm sure our favorish system would be enticing.
Besides, it would be interesting to see UT block them from having their own network while maintaining their own. The drama would be too much to pass up. I hope this happens.
I mean, UT at the Big 12 meeting would have to explain why not to add Notre Dame, "Well, this is a one prima donna league. Two prima donnas and you either have to release DVD's of them being naked together or they implode like a garbage reality show. Besides, Dan cannot take that much 'shake weight' work, the poor guy will probably keel over."
I think Texas wins that argument hands down, or hands up, or hands moving, or something... To add Notre Dame to a league with Texas would be too much, in Thunder Dan's defense, that is a lot of "shaking."
Well, I guess he has two hands.
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
lol @ your scenarios. I hope when Big 12 becomes appealing again that maybe Notre Dame will consider us. That would be a slap in the face for Big 10 for sure.
omari1911 3 years ago
Texas got what it wanted and other schools in the conference may benefit from an enlarged pie, albeit enjoying comparatively smaller pieces. Everything I'm reading from other sources cites all of the work done by university presidents and even those outside of the Big 12, but with an interest in keeping college sports from jumping the shark as being pivotal in keeping this together.
I think this is best for KU and other Big 12 schools, but I don't see how Beebe became the savior of everything holy.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
ESPN is reporting that there is no concrete TV deal. And Texas is, of course, saying it "led" the way. Good for them. Glad this Texas league is still together.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5289050
So yeah, we'll get a raise when our current TV contracts are up. Ehh, how was this news any different than a month ago when six schools were leaving for the Pac-10?
Oh wait, Texas gets their own TV network. Ehh, how is that different from a month ago when they were all fighting at the Big 12 Spring conference?
We are all happy right now at the prospect of future raises, but once the SEC and Big 10 negotiate their new contracts, and all get raises, the Big 12 will be looking at splintering again.
KU had better be prepared.
Dan is no hero, he and Larry Scott just got played by UT, that's all.
oxcaljayhawk 3 years ago
You're right. UT leveraged the P10 and all the P10 got was CU and maybe Utah. LA, call your cable operators now! UT also played Delany for a sucker. The P10 offer caused the B10 to move faster than they wanted. Instead of getting the Notre Dame the B10 will always want, they settle for the Corn Queen and hope her looks don't continue to fade.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
Just read this:
Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State and Missouri -- who were in danger of being left homeless if the conference dissolved -- agreed to give up their share in buyout penalties to be paid by Nebraska and Colorado for leaving the league, Beebe said.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/06/15/big12-lives.ap/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0qxJGKzCg
Yeah, thanks Dan, for "saving" us.
This conference is such a damn joke.
Rock_Chalk_NYC 3 years ago
You're 100% right!
We just got Lewzer'ed again!
Why would we forgo the buyout penalty dollars we deserve? CU and NU came with US to the Big 12 from the Big 8...
The other 4 schools were much more desperate than KU but Lewzer allowed us to be lumped in with them.
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
I'm sad that our schools have to give up on our share of the buyout money to keep the other schools in Big12. We deserve that money too. Whatever I guess.
Rock_Chalk_NYC 3 years ago
Dan Bebe (intentionally spelled like a girl b/c he got worked like a little girl) should be fired.
He didn't save the conference. His awful leadership, naivety and poor decisions led to us becoming the Little 12 and was nearly a disaster.
Leadership: He was reactionary the entire time! Name one time he actually led anything? ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS and other commissioners were the ones who came together and used leadership and some armtwisting to get this done. Where, AGAIN WHERE, did the former Big 12 EVER act proactive and work to better the Big 12?
Naivety: The Big 10 and Pac 10 commishes WORKED him! "They promised to call me before they did anything..." Are you F'in kiddin me! If it wasn't so serious I'd LMAO. Also, back when we could have had a "Plus One" game which would have led to a 4,8 or 16 team football tourney eventually, he again was WORKED by Big/Pac 10 jacka$$e$.
Poor Decisions: Where to begin. Start with previously mentioned "plus one". Lack of our own TV network 3-4 years ago. Letting NU and CU leave without even trying to keep them. (side note, don't really care about CU other than Denver TV heads... but NU was a good football school and we should have at least tried)... the list is too long here.
Give me a break Keeg... usually really like your articles but this one is ridiculous!
rob4lb 3 years ago
I agree with Kroh and RC_NYC: When I was following this yesterday, I kept asking myself why this wasn't worked out three weeks ago and proposed at the Big 12 meetings? What really changed? I have heard that some of the powers that be at the TV networks and other conference commissioner were alarmed at the aggressiveness of the Pac-16 and started to encourage holding the Big 12 together.
Had this been done 'proactively', we might have been able to convince NU to stay. There wouldn't have been such a public airing or grievences that makes it almost impossible for schools to trust each other.
This has certainly been an ego deflating experience for KU. We found out that our basketball tradition doesn't matter and our football teams add no value to the BCS conferences. It is probably worth it for us to "pay" UT and OU to be able to stay in the club.
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
You are certainly right.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
It is funny that people responded to my clean posts, not that it is a bad thing because I enjoy replies, but nobody posted a reply to my "shake weight" sexual innuendo post about Dan and UT that I feel is some of my best work. I even eluded to two females getting hot together!
Pulitzer Prize winning innuendo folks!
I need to start a blog page, how does one do this?
Krohnutz 3 years ago
I would name my blog page, "Hangin' with the Nutz!" or something straight out of juvenile delinquency.
It should be noted that the nickname does not refer to genitalia, but it is fun to act like it does.
I need help, I think.
ChicagoHawkMatt 3 years ago
One school that I have not heard listed in the mix is Illinois. Stay with me for a second.
You could also look at taking Iowa from the Big 10. There is not much of a television market there, but if you had Iowa and Illinois come in, the Chicago market would really open up. Plus there is a natural rivalry between Iowa State and Iowa. The addition of Illinois and Iowa would put six teams in the Big 12 north and keep the 6 teams in the Big 12 South.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
No Big Ten team is going to leave their situation to come to a league that is run by one school and their cronies.
Actually, let me fix that...
No self-respecting university in any stable BCS conference is going to leave their situation to come to a league that is run by one school and their cronies.
Fixed.
oxcaljayhawk 3 years ago
+1
Bear86 3 years ago
Well said!
iluvdbskxjayhawks 3 years ago
There's no chance for Big 12 stealing any of Big 10's schools. They get paid too much and their academics are top in the nation. Why would they go to Big 12 when Big 12 is unstable?
jaybate 3 years ago
Beebe deserves a pay cut for either:
a) giving Texas its own network deal; or
b) waiting so long to give Texas its own network deal.
Really, if the conference were going to gave on the separate network deal for Texas, they should have caved from the beginning and saved all the ADs and Chancellors a ton of money in attorney's and consultants fees.
Beebe blew it.
Krohnutz 3 years ago
Change "it" to "them."
Fixed.
Slyder15 3 years ago
You are delusional man. Kansas, ISU, K St, and arguably Mizzou should be looking for the first bus out of the big 12 before Texas listens again to yet ANOTHER conference and takes the rest of Texas with them and leave you to the vultures. It was 11:58pm about to strike midnight and he bent over and kissed the ring that is Texas and gave them EVERYTHING and MORE. It wont be long until Texas gets bored and starts sniffing around again. The money won't be there for you as Texas and Oklahoma will devour the vast majority of it leaving scraps for the Kansas teams, Iowa St, and Mizzou. There is no way the amount of $$$ that is being thrown around is real I mean think about it. You 1) lose one of the biggest cash cows there is Title Game, 2) You lose one of your bigger markets (Denver), 3) a traditional power that has been down but travels well and packs the stadium regardless of whether its Texas or North Texas and somehow you find 2-3 TIMES as much money for the same watered down product? That makes about as much sense as Obama-nomics.
Nebraska and Colorado had the where-with-all to get while the gettin was good. You shouldnt be praising this incompetant boob, KU should be above taking it to stroke the ego of 1 school. You have too much rich history to be reduced to Texas' little doll.
lighthawk 3 years ago
spot on. we are now officially annointed Tex dolls.
Slyder15 3 years ago
btw Arkansas left the SWC because they were tired of being treated like crap while Texas got everything, why in the world would they want to come back to the SAME EXACT circumstances? Plus no team in the SEC (except Vandy) is going to leave the guarenteed payday for a "projected" pay day so give that up.
Please Tell me your other 3 choices for expansion are either with Sarcasm or a joke. WVU and Pitt would more than TRIPLE their travel in that scenario. We Mountaineers travel but not that well and often. And all of Pitts 200 fans are lucky to arrive by hafltime of their HOME games. You guys should be looking east for new homes or at the very least in contact with the MWC should they receive an automatic bid to the BcS after this phase.
lighthawk 3 years ago
there is a reason King Arthur had a 'round' table, no one sat at the head, This is not a conference of equals, rather it is the Texas Ten, house of cards, pipe dream and can't by law of physics survive. The Boobee head said today on air the 5 schools 'gave' TX OU ATM all of the NE CU penalty money and then 3 hours later, MU execs, said they knew nothing about their share going to Texas. devil in the details.
Boobee says diff. stuff to diff. schools.
Willing to be in big time minority, I would rather be in lesser conf. than under Da Long Horn Boots. Right now everyone is all smiles, reminds me of "peace in our time" speech. Dpes anyone else feel like Autria/Poland right now? We just annointed Longhorns king and gave them their own TV money not subject to Big 12 sharing. Missou sees the world clearly and if invited, even now, will bolt, the right call for any of us, into a conf. of equals treated like partners not lap dawgs.
Once all the facts are out, only three happy teams, Texas, Huskers and Buffaloes.
hope i'm wrong.
jhokfan 3 years ago
Et tu Jaybate? Beebe played the hand he was dealt which was not a good one. All the speculation about what he should have done is convenient hindsight.
kranny 3 years ago
Beebe played the hand he dealt to himself and got 2 fists up the ole wazoo.
OldProf 3 years ago
Give the Commissioner a BIG RAISE. It is difficult to look concerned for the Conference when you might be losing your job.
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