Remember last spring when the Big 12 Conference nearly went out of business? Sure you do.
Every BCS conference was romancing "The Big 3" to join their league. "The Big 3" would be Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Texas was definitely the belle of the ball but Big 12 Conference commissioner Dan Beebe made some promises including guaranteeing more money at the expense of the other schools.
Word came out during Big 12 football media days that Texas and Oklahoma declined the offer from the schools that would have been left behind to forfeit their share of the exit fees from Nebraska and Colorado.
Texas A&M took the offer.
A guaranteed $20 million...
Now those powers that be in Aggieland want to make sure the Big 12 come through on that promise though that guaranteed money isn't scheduled to begin until 2012-13 academic year.
In an e-mail statement Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said the following: "A key part of Texas A&M's decision to remain in the Big 12 earlier this summer was the commissioner's commitment that Texas A&M would receive a minimum of $20 million annually in future conference distributions," Loftin said. "We remain committed to the conference and fully anticipate that the Big 12 will honor its commitment to Texas A&M."
You can read more from the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/topstories/stories/073010dnspocarltoncol.2905f91.html
And more from the San Antonio Express News: http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/aggies/
Sure the Universities of Texas and Oklahoma have athletic departments that have a strong cash flow and didn't need the charity. Texas A&M isn't going to turn down free money to pay the bills.
It appears Dan Beebe's job now is to keep the Aggies happy or they may explore the SEC option again. How long do you give the Big 12 to survive now?
Here's the fullscreens as proof, thanks to our friends at KBTX-TV
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