KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There will be a slight delay in Air Beebe Flight 2010 to the Future.
Actually, they're waiting to see if any passengers will get on the plane.
The metaphor was courtesy of Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe, who several weeks ago tried to play tough guy while doing an interview with a Kansas City radio station.
In the wake of speculation that the league could lose Nebraska and Missouri to the Big Ten and possibly Colorado to the Pacific 10, Beebe said that there would be “frank discussions" at this week's Big 12 meetings about who would be “on the plane" when it took off for sunnier skies.
Like everything else about these conference expansion stories, the quotes are better than reality.
And that is, everyone is in a holding pattern until Jim Delany and his big boy airline make the first move.
At the end of the Big 12's first day of meetings on Tuesday, Beebe stepped up to the mike to basically say, there's nothing to see here folks, please move along.
No ultimatums will be issued this week. Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne will not be tied up and blindfolded and interrogated in a dark room.
In fact, Beebe, a man of many metaphors, said, “I have to know what apples are in the cart when I go to market." What he meant was when the Big 12 starts its next TV negotiations, with Fox Sports, the network will want to know who it's bidding on.
And that comes in April 2011.
Beebe has until then to take his roll call. And he may need every minute. The Big Ten has said it is in no hurry and, in fact, could wait until next spring to announce its expansion plans.
In the meantime, Beebe says he will bring it up with the Big 12 Board of Directors later this week about a deadline for getting on his imaginary plane. But what would it mean?
What's he going to do if Nebraska or Missouri refuses to commit? Kick them out? What if NU or MU sign a commitment and renege? Is that supposed to be binding in court?
No. What we learned on Tuesday is that there will be no ultimatums or roll calls made this week — or any other week.
The Big Ten will make the roll call.
Right now, Beebe wants no part of a roll call. If Tuesday's tea leaves were any indication, Beebe's plane would currently look like one of those old 10-seat Air Midwest cigar boxes, with Iowa State and Baylor on board.
Earlier Tuesday, Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds told the Kansas City Star that NU and MU were not being disloyal to the Big 12 for listening to other offers. In fact, Texas planned to listen, too. He added that if the college landscape changes, Texas “will be a viable part of it."
Later, Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins answered a question about whether KU would call the Big Ten by saying, “Let me ask you a question: How do you know the Big Ten hasn't called us?"
You had to love the fact that Perkins was sitting in front of a backdrop covered with Big 12 logos when he said that. He was kidding, right?
So much for solidarity. If folks want to paint Nebraska and Missouri as villains, they might have some company. What a football and basketball season we are about to have. Who do you boo? Who do you trust?
Here's something else we learned on Tuesday: There's nothing the Big 12 can do this week to keep MU or NU — or certainly Texas — if the Big Ten Lottery people knock on their door.
Beebe's top sales pitch is the Fox negotiations. It should bring a huge windfall of cash. The ACC just landed ESPN for $1.8 billion over 12 years, or $155 million per year ($12 million per school per year). Say what you want about Big 12 TV sets, but Big 12 football and ratings are superior to the ACC brand. The Big 12 should do very well.
But whatever Fox throws at the league, and Fox could throw a bunch, it will still pale in comparison to Big Ten money — not to mention Big Ten academic research grant money.
There's talk that the Big 12 could tweak some things to keep MU and NU happy. But what? Missouri's big beef is revenue sharing, but the league's board decided unanimously three years ago to leave it alone. Why change it now for Mizzou?
Meanwhile, if the Big 12 votes this week to rotate the football title game to Kansas City every other year, we'll know that was a bone to make Tom Osborne happy. Don't hold your breath. In fact, a three-year extension to keep it in Dallas-Fort Worth looks imminent.
Of course, there's every possibility that the Big Ten does nothing. In which case, Nebraska and Missouri could secure their boarding passes for Air Beebe in April.
There's no hurry. Until further announcements, Air Beebe is on stand-by.
Contact the writer:
444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
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