http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1093803
Three different sources at Big 12 South schools being targeted by the Pac-10 told Orangebloods.com Sunday morning that Dan Beebe's attempts to secure a new TV deal on par with the SEC's $17 million/school payout for the 10 remaining schools in the Big 12 is in play.
The sources said they are proceeding cautiously with the new information provided by Beebe.
But the information might slow down the rocket-like pace of Big 12 schools seeking a new home and possibly draw all the divided parties back to the table.
Here's what Beebe has provided to the five Big 12 South schools who have been targeted by the Pac-10, including Texas A&M, who has been in deep conversation about joining the SEC, according to sources.
--Beebe has secured information that enough money could be inked in its next TV negotiation (in 2011) that revenues per school would jump from between $7 million and $10 million in the Big 12 currently to $17 million, which is what the SEC pays out.
--Individal institutions would be allowed to pursue their own networks, which has been a goal of Texas. If the Longhorns went to the Pac-10, they would have to forgo their own distribution platforms, including a network, because the Pac-16 would seek to have a conference network in which all inventory is shared.
(Consultants have put Texas' ability to generate revenue from its own network at between $3 million and $5 million after a start-up window of about three years.)
--The Big 12 would proceed with 10 teams. Everyone would play everyone in football, providing a nine-game conference schedule. And the option to save or dump the conference championship game would be determined by the institutions.
--The loss of Nebraska and Colorado should have been a loss of about 16 percent to the league's revenue generating capacity. But because Colorado was an underperformer, the league lost only about 8.6 percent of its value with the loss of Nebraska, according to sources with knowledge of the Beebe Plan.
Hold on folks. This is about to get interesting. The key in all of this is that Texas appears to be at least reconsidering its position on going to the Pac-10 and will listen to the Beebe proposal and to the idea of remaining in the Big 12.
Nothing is done. It is fluid. But the Beebe Plan to hold the Big 12 together is definitely in play right now.
As Orangebloods.com was told by a top source in the day's developments: "The winds to keep the Big 12 together with 10 teams are getting stronger."
The plot only figures to thicken as Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and Pac-10 chief operating officer Kevin Weiberg spoke to officials from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City Saturday and are in College Station today to speak with Texas A&M officials, according to sources.
Texas had been resolute up to this point that if Nebraska left the conference, it would accept an invitation to join the Pac-10 and lead an exodus that appeared to include Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Texas A&M has been in deep discussions with the SEC and as of Saturday night had enough votes on its Board of Regents to join the SEC (believed to be 6-3). But the dissenting votes on A&M's regents board are apparently passionate about keeping Texas and A&M together and not breaking up a 100-year rivalry by having the schools head to different leagues.
SEC commissioner Mike Slive was in College Station Saturday. Sources close to the situation say A&M has an invitation to the SEC if it wants it. The SEC has also been doggedly pursuing Oklahoma.
But thus far, OU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have indicated they would stay with Texas. Up to this point, that appeared to be an announcement to join the Pac-10, starting as early as Tuesday of this week.
But with news that Texas is now seriously considering the Beebe Plan, there is a growing chance the Big 12, which is now at 10 schools (the Big Ten, by the way, is now at 12 schools) just might survive after all.
Stay tuned.