8 / NEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
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Big 12 Conference intact for now
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
During the Big 12 Conference's spring meetings June 1-4 in Kansas City, Mo., a proposal surfaced for six members of the conference — Kansas not among them to move to the Pacific-10 Conference.
As it stands right now, the Big 12 is still intact.
Much was discussed, but definitive answers about the future of the Big 12 were hard to come by. Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe just showed his optimism the conference would retain its current members.
"I am comfortable," he said during a press conference following Friday's meetings. "There is a process that we're going through, but based on the conversations that we've had. I think we're in a good position."
Among the schools in consideration to join the Pac-10 are Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and either Colorado or Baylor.
Beebe said he had several reasons to be confident that the league would remain as is, namely because of the
Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and either Baylor or Colorado — whichever gets left out of Pac-10 talks - would have to find a new location. Right now, speculation has the Jayhawks going to the Mountain West or possibly to a yet-to-be formed super conference if they should be left out.
strength the Big 12 showed every season.
There is also high potential for the Big 12 and Pac-10 to get their own joint television network. The fact that other conferences are getting their own networks shows promise.
Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins, who missed the last three days of the meetings, is also confident the Big 12 is safe for now.
"I don't blame those other conferences for looking at our institutions," Beebe said. "They're valuable institutions with a lot of great history and tradition and could add a lot. But I think that we have a compelling case for why these 12 should stay together."
"Based on a considerable amount of work by commissioner Dan Beebe and others," Perkins said in a release Friday, "I am very encouraged as these meetings end about the strength and viability of the Big 12 Conference."
He said the Big 12 would like to explore options to expand the league, even though he said 12 teams seemed to be the appropriate number. It hasn't extended any offers to other schools to join like the Big 10 or Pac-10 because of the trouble it causes the students. The geography and scheduling would not be beneficial to the student athletes.
Beebe said he talked with commissioners from the Pac10 and other leagues and the Big 12 schools involved shouldn't be to blame. Beebe said he couldn't control what the other leagues chose to do.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale
spoke about realignment during his April 28 visit to Washburn University. Though he spoke before the Big 12 schools became involved in the debate, Vitalte also voiced geographical concerns.
"What geographical sense does it make?" he asked. "I like to think I exceeded in life because I have some drive, but I'm a dummy. To this day I don't understand."
If some of the Big 12 schools did decide to join the Pac-10, Texas and California teams visiting each other would have to travel about 1500 miles one way. It's about half that distance from from Texas to Nebraska, the largest separation in the Big 12.
Vitale said the only interest these league alterations help was the businessmen involved because it was all about the money.
"All the realignment to me has become a joke," he said.
If teams like Mizzou leave, the Big 12 tournaments in Kansas City might have to be reevaluated, Beebe said.
Beebe would not elaborate on the action the Big 12 was taking in response to the demands from other conferences. But Mizzou and Nebraska were given ultimatums by the league to decide if it wanted to stay in the Big 12 or leave.
"The process that's been set is firm. But I'm not going to engage on what that is." Beebe said. "What we have now is pretty good. To tinker with it would be a risk."
1.
Athletics director Lew Perkins discusses the findings of an investigation into inappropriate distribution month at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. The report was conducted by a Wichita law firm Foulsterman's basketball tickets and 2,181 football tickets were used in appropriately, totaling a face value of at
Perkins claims bl borrowed exercis
ruser@kansan.com
BY RICHELLE BUSER
In the wake of a $1.03 million ticket-scalping scandal, Athletics Director Lew Perkins publicly announced he was blackmailed by a former employee.
At Big 12 Conference meetings on June 1 in Kansas City, Mo., Perkins described himself as a victim. It has been reported that former Director of Sports Medicine William Dent allegedly blackmailed Perkins after he exchanged rehabilitation equipment for valuable basketball seats.
Students said they had mixed feelings about the drama at the Athletics Department.
"I almost feel betrayed," Kate Stedman, a junior from Overland Park, said. "It seems like Perkins has just been covering up a bunch of schemes
Matt Reissen, a senior from Overland Park, said the Athletics Department, not the athletes was the
and scandals for the players and now its employees too."
problem.
"ESPN uses it as an other excuse to bash our athletics programs, but it just has to do with athletics employees, not the actual athletes." Reissen said.
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