Ten is fine with the Big-12 Conference according to commissioner Dan Beebe. The University Of Texas on Monday declined an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference and several other members of the south division followed suit, leaving a smaller version of the league to move forward.
Beebe says the 12 they had were ideal, but now that they have 10 remaining, there are a lot of positive feelings. He says they are looking forward to having a football schedule with 9 conference games and then a double round robin basketball schedule.
Colorado left to join the Pac 10 last week and Nebraska is headed to the Big Ten. But, Bebee says there are no plans to replace those schools. With 10 members the league may not have a conference championship game in football down the road. He says they are not looking to expand, and would not expand with any institutions in the five state geographic area.
Bebee convinced Texas and several other schools that they would make more money in television deals with the Big-12 than an expanded Pac-10. But he admits that is just speculation at this point. Bebee says they don’t have a deal, but have strong verification based on analysis that they are in a good condition to get tv a contract on par with any conference in the country.
Bebee says in the end it was more than money. It was location. He says the strong consideration was the association of the schools and the fact that college athletics is a regionally supported endeavor.
The new deal means Iowa State and several other of the north division schools still have a conference but it comes at a price. All of the money the Big-12 recieves from Colorado and Nebraska leaving will be given to Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A@M.