COLUMBIA, MO -- In what may be the last of the Big 12 Conference as we know it, Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe has reportedly devised a plan to save the conference.
According to Orangebloods.com, a website devoted to covering the recruiting efforts of Texas athletics. Beebe would keep the conference at it's current 10 member state and guarantee payouts of approximately $17 million to be paid in 2012 when the Big 12's new television contract would be in effect. That amount would be on-par with the current SEC Conference TV deal. Schools currently make between $7 million and $10 million per year.
Other key items to his plan include:
Dividing up about $20 million in buyout penalties among the 10 remaining schools Nebraska and Colorado will have to pay to leave the conference early.
The ability for each individual institution to pursue it's own television network.
The Big 12 would proceed with 10 teams. Everyone would play everyone in a nine game conference schedule in football.
The conference championship game would be eliminated in the short-term. The NCAA currently mandates a conference needs at least 12 members for a championship football game.
Texas and Texas Tech will meet with it's respective Board of Regents on Tuesday.
Oklahoma will meet with it's Board of regents on Wednesday.
The topic will be conference realignment and whether or not to leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 Conference.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG