The atmosphere in the Intercontinental Hotel in Kansas City could be volatile Thursday, with Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe ready to push members to confirm their commitment to the conference at this week’s Big 12 meetings.
In an interview with the Kansas City Star, Athletic Director Mike Alden confirmed conference expansion is on the agenda for Thursday, making it apparent Beebe is ready to enforce an ultimatum he has alluded to over the past few weeks.
ESPN writer David Ubben said there is not much Beebe can do to accelerate the possible expansion process, despite his call for confirmation from Big 12 members.
“I don’t think they have the leverage to enforce an ultimatum,” Ubben said. “First of all, they’re not going to kick Nebraska and Missouri out, that’s just not going to happen, and even if they do enforce stricter penalties for leaving, that’s still not going to be enough to get them not to go.”
Beebe’s statement comes after a flurry of reports over the past month and a half claiming the Big Ten has made offers to Missouri and Nebraska and speculation Colorado could soon be headed for the Pac-10. While these rumors have pushed Beebe to try and accelerate the confirmation process, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he has no intention to expedite expansion on his end.
“I’m not sure that the Big Ten is necessarily in a huge rush (to make a decision) and they’re the ones holding all the cards at this point,” Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com and InsideSTL.com said. “There’s really not a definite timetable on it at this point.”
The last time Delany seriously considered expanding the conference was in 1999, when Notre Dame publicly rejected his offer. This time around, Delany said he will not announce to the public that offers have been made until he is assured schools will accept them.
“The only time you are going to hear that (the Big Ten) is extending any offers, is when they know these offers are going to be accepted,” ESPN senior writer Bruce Feldman said. “(Delany) is a proud guy. He really values the image of the Big Ten brand and I do not think he is going to let anybody walk all over it and not cast it in the best light.”
Delany’s approach doesn’t bode well for Beebe and the Big 12. When he made the original announcement, Delany said the conference was embarking on a 12-to-18-month process. If it’s not until this time next year, nearly 18 months after the original announcement, Beebe could have a much smaller selection of replacement schools and, as a result, could be faced with a much weaker conference. Should the Pac-10 and SEC choose to expand as well, there is the possibility of the Big 12 Conference dissolving.
“I don’t think you’re immediately going to see a break up of the Big 12,” DeArmond said. “But if things start going on in the SEC response and the Pac-10 maybe looks at more than just Colorado and Utah, then 5 years down the road you could be in a scenario where the Big 12 isn’t around anymore.”