Stiffer Penalties for Leaving Conference:

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bbeerma2

Special Teams Player
I read an interesting Insider article on ESPN yesterday in the Rumors section. They made the case that Beebe could try to stiffen penalties for leaving the conference. 4-year transition period, greater monetary loss, etc. This seems like a bit of a slap in the face and I'm not sure the legality of the move. It can be ratified by 9 out of the 12 teams, meaning Missouri, Colorado and Nebraska would not need to vote Yes at all. How can you impose such penalties on preexisting members without their consent? Basically, forcing them to partner with you due to undue hardship for leaving which they did not consent to. I'm fairly certain that we could challenge this and get a free out in the end, possibly sacrificing no revenue if we took it to court.

It would seem similar to a landlord extending your contract and raising the cost of cancelling that contract without your approval.

 
it would be short sighted of the other U's that aren't in the state of Texas to sign off on something too ridiculous themselves though.

 
Agreed. This would push those 3 schools out the door and make it difficult for others to want to join. Who wants to go to a conference where you will get bullied?

 
IF any of these teams want to change conference, it won't matter what Beebe does. I think IF any of them do make a change, there will be a long transition period anyway that will span at least 3 or 4 years, just because of scheduling, though I am by no means an expert in that area. The money is nothing, and would be made up in the long run. I don't see how Beebe would think that he can just change the penalties without possibly pushing someone out the door. I almost feel like he is playing russian roulette and forgot to take one shell out of the gun when he starts making heavy handed comments like that for public consumption. He is walking the plank on a razor blade threatening anyone, because the conference does not hold the cards - each team can either choose to play, or just choose to walk away from the table. I don't see that many quality teams out there to start replacing teams with, either.

I would say his best hope is to be looking at the possibilities of enticing Texas, Nebraska, and Missouri into staying by finding some quality teams that might come over to the Big XII...because I think the key to surviving is going to be expansion, just not sure that there is that many out there that would even consider it. Personally, I think it is too little, too late - I think at least Missouri and very possibly Nebraska is on the way to the Big Ten in the coming years. They may be taking it slow, but something tells me this thing is a done deal, because I think they see that the Big XII is a dying conference if other conferences expand. It has already been shown that we already lose poll positions by being in the Big XII vs. the SEC or Big Ten, I don't think we want to slip any farther.

 
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Even the worst of the penalties being talked about pale in comparison to the TV money alone that we would make by joining the Big 10. Remember that this isn't a decision we're making for the next two-five years, this is a decades-long association with the best-situated academic/sports conference in America. Joining the Big 10 wouldn't just help the Athletic Department's budget, it quite possibly could help build Innovation Park, the University's flagship project over the next 20 years.

Let Beebe huff and puff and blow as hard as he can. We're building a house made of bricks over here, and if he'd like to try coming down the chimney, we'll have the fire nice and hot for him.

 
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