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Ousted Big 12 Commissioner
Dan Beebe says he touted
equal revenue sharing and

members handing their
television rights to the
conference years ago, but
the schools—and not just
Texas—liked the idea of
being able to start their
own networks.
Beebe said in a phone
interview with The
Associated Press on Sunday
that Oklahoma, Nebraska
and even Texas A&M were
interested in “developing
their own distribution
systems” for their sports
programs.
The Big 12 recently agreed
to switch to equal revenue
sharing after years in which
the schools that made the
most television
appearances received the
most money.
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The eight remaining
schools—not including
Missouri, which is
considering a switch to the
Southeastern
Conference—also agreed to
hand their most lucrative
television rights over to the
conference for six years, a
move that makes it
practically impossible for
members to switch leagues.
Beebe said he first brought
up equal revenue sharing in
2008 and the members
never even voted on it.
Nebraska, which left the Big
12 for the Big Ten last year,
was among the schools
against equal revenue
sharing.
In 2009, ahead of
negotiations on a new
television contract, Beebe
said he asked the members
to grant the conference
their top-tier TV rights, and
the schools balked again