Terrorist Texas “Saves” the Big 12?
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The news of the day is that Texas and other members of the Big 12 South division who were long rumored to be heading to the Pac-10 are now becoming more committed to being part of a 10 team conference (the "existing Big 12"). With this news, there might be much rejoicing in Lawrence, Kansas and other parts of the conference where there was fear of homelessness following a conference implosion. But, let's just dismiss the whole notion that Texas "saved the Big 12" by choosing to stay, and just call a spade a spade. The University of Texas terrorized the other members of the conference. They extorted Dan Beebe (and to a degree, major television executives) into getting exactly what they wanted – their own television network. To do so, they held smaller or less powerful programs hostage. They tried to use scare tactics and ultimatums to blame others, most notably Nebraska and Texas A&M, into thinking any blame for conference failure would fall on their shoulders. What did we learn? Well, to borrow a phrase from the United States government, Dr. Tom Osborne does not negotiate with terrorists.
Tom Called It
When it is all said and done, it looks like the Big 12 will remain together with 10 teams. That result only makes Tom Osborne’s recent words echo even louder.
“One school leaving a conference does not break up a conference,” Osborne said last week. “Two schools leaving a conference does not break up a conference. Six schools leaving a conference breaks up a conference.”
Two schools – Colorado and Nebraska – left. The conference remains. Why? Because Texas didn’t bolt for the Pac-10 and take its southern confederates with it. Why did they stay? They got their own television network.
Texas TV
Commissioner Beebe re-worked his possible television agreements. Based on the projections, he is offering the remaining schools a future agreement worth about $17 million a piece annually, very comparable the SEC’s deal. The key difference – Texas gets to retain the right to develop its own television network, and keep all of the revenue from that, projected roughly at $3-$5 million annually.
That, folks, it what this is really about – Texas TV. The Pac-10 would not accept such a deal. Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott (a very big picture thinker) and his member institutions would not let Texas have that kind of provincial Texas-centric deal. But the threat of the departure was enough to get Beebe to his knees.
Why did Beebe cave? Well, just a guess, but the specter of not having a conference and a job is a pretty bad thing. How did he come up with all of this money? Television executives took a long look at the impending Armageddon that such radical realignment would cause one of its major cash cows, and told Beebe they will pony up the cash for the conference as it exists.
Texas and Its Hostages
Maybe this will all fall apart. Maybe Beebe's projections are way off. Maybe Texas will still leave for the Pac-10 and take Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech with it. But, at this moment, I doubt it. The existing Big 12 is likely to go on with 10 teams. Personally, I am even more pleased that Nebraska chose to leave for the Big Ten. Colorado, too, is better off having cast its lot with a different league.
Will there be a nostalgic longing for the halcyon days of the old Big 8? Maybe just a tad. But, the reality is that schools like Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri were just held hostage by Texas. Even schools with more resources, options and history – programs like A&M and Oklahoma – were part of a Texas shell game. Others, namely Baylor and Texas Tech, were more like baggage that UT had to carry around as it sold its idea to any number of conferences. If any school had the gall to try and step out of line (including A&M's very recent flirtation with the SEC), they were warned that the conference would fail because of it.
Nebraska fans can be glad NU had the options they did in securing a place in the Big 10. The NU leadership had the stones to say “enough is enough” and look out for the best interests of their institution when they knew the conference became unstable. Nebraska does not exist so Texas can have more television revenue. Thanks.
Texas saves the Big 12? Hardly. Maybe replace the word “saves” with the word “extorts” or even “terrorizes” and it might be closer to accurate.
Onward to the Big Ten with no regrets.