National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Jun 15, 2010 8:46:41 AM

The 10 remaining members of the Big 12 Conference, after last week's defections of Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pacific-10, will stay together.

Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott released a statement Monday evening that indicated Texas, considered a linchpin in a massive expansion of the Pac-10, had declined Scott's invitation to join the league and would stay together with the remaining Big 12 schools.

Other schools in the conference soon followed suit. Texas A&M, said to be flirting with joining the Southeastern Conference, also released a statement Monday night affirming its commitment to the Big 12. A joint statement from Oklahoma president David Boren and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione said the Sooners value the "strong working relationship" that was reaffirmed during the conference realignment process of the past few weeks.

"We intend to work very hard to make the conference as lasting and dynamic as possible," the Oklahoma statement reads.

Kansas State and Baylor released similar statements.

In a press conference Friday evening, Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said he would continue to work "tirelessly to ensure the other 10 members have a bright future." A new cable television deal to increase the conference's revenue appears to have been a deciding factor.

Beebe set another press conference for 11 a.m. Central on Tuesday, while Texas officials will address the media at 10 a.m. Central.