IT'S TIME by Rally House

IT’S TIME

01.

02.

03.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

04.

WHO WE WERE

AND WHERE WE’VE BEEN

WHERE WE’RE GOING AND HOW WE’RE GONNA GET THERE

WHO WE ARE

AND WHAT WE’LL DO

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE IDENTITY AND APPLICATION

“FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS COME GREAT THINGS”

01.

WHO WE WERE

AND WHERE WE’VE BEEN

LET ME TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY Through the corn fields of Iowa and of Nebraska, onto the vast mountain ranges of Colorado and into the golden wheat fields of Kansas, then down to the panhandle of Oklahoma wayside of the winding rivers of Missouri, we come to the lowlands of Texas. What we have just experienced is the vast physical beauty of what they call â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the Midwestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. A region that possesses something more than just gorgeous landscapes and precious crops: Within the ever-competitive and ever-changing world of intercollegiate organizations, a conference exists. A conference we have come to know as The Big Twelve.

01. WHO WE WERE

A LITTLE BIT OF

HISTORY ABOUT THE CONFERENCE The Big Twelve Conference, located in the Central United States, with headquarters located in Irving, Texas, officially formed on February 25, 1994, when members of the Big Eight Conference joined with four Texas schools from the Southwest Conference. A member of the NCAA’s Division I for all sports, of whose football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition. Member schools for the conference (up until the 2011 calendar year) are located in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The Big Twelve sponsors 21 sports. Men’s squads include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track & field, swimming and diving, tennis and wrestling. Women’s teams are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

A SUCCESSFUL PAST Since it began play in 1996 and 1997, the Conference can boast of 38 team crowns and 459 individual NCAA Championships. The success continued in 2009, as Oklahoma State won the NCAA men’s cross country title while Texas captured the national championship in men’s swimming & diving. Texas A&M maintained its place as the nation’s top outdoor track & field program, securing the NCAA crowns for both the men and women for the second consecutive year. Big Twelve squads continued to lead the nation in their respective sports as every single sport the Conference sponsors had at least one school ranked in the top six of the national rankings during the past campaign. In addition, nine different sports had the No. 1 team in the nation at some point during the 2009-2010 season. Clearly a strong conference in terms of competition in the world of sports, the Big Twelve has held an important role in the NCAA over a decade. While it may encompass some of the most amazing Division I schools in the United States, along with their great cities and amazing landscapes, the conference began to fail in other ways. Something happened along the way,

THE BIG TWELVE

TIMELINE

MARCH Steve Hatchell is introduced as the Big Twelve’s first commissioner.

JUNE The SWC goes out of business after more than 80 years of competition. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor join the current Big Eight members in a merger described as a shotgun wedding.

FEBRUARY Baylor becomes the first of four Southwest Conference schools to formally accept an invitation to join the Big Eight and form the Big Twelve.

JANUARY 2001 Oklahoma defeats Florida State in the Orange Bowl to win the football National Title.

AUGUST The Big Twelve opens competition. People wonder how long it will last as it is a pairing of a troubled Texas conference and a league long dominated by Nebraska and Oklahoma. Dallas is selected the league’s headquarters, beating out the Big Eight’s home of Kansas City.

DECEMBER Texas defeats Nebraska in league’s first championship football game, 37-27.

1994

1995

01. WHO WE WERE

1996

1997

1998

1999

2001

2002

AUGUST 2009

JANUARY 2006

The Big Twelve enters its 14th season of competition with no sign of the vulnerability that haunts it today, having won 34 team national titles and more than 400 NCAA championships. The league has already announced a record $130 million in share d revenues to its members from the previous academic year.

Texas beats USC, 41-38, in the football National Title game at the Rose Bowl

DECEMBER 2008 Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford wins the Heisman Trophy, the league’s fourth winner. Oklahoma’s Jason White won in 2003, Nebraska’s Eric Crouch in 2001 and Texas’ Ricky Williams in 1998.

DECEMBER 2009 Texas narrowly escapes Cowboys Stadium with a 13-Twelve win over Nebraska in the league’s football title game.

APRIL 2008 Kansas Jayhawks win the National Title, the Big Twelve’s first title in the sport.

APRIL 2007 The Big Twelve announces a continuation of ABC/ESPN relationship with an eight-year agreement worth $480 million that runs through 2016.

JANUARY 2010 Texas falls to Alabama, 37-21, in the BCS national championship game. It is the league’s seventh appearance in a BCS title game.

SEPTEMBER 2007 Dan Beebe is named the third commissioner of the Big Twelve, after serving as senior associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the league since February 2003. Beebe takes over for Kevin Weiberg, who stepped down after nine years to take a position with the Big Ten Network. Weiberg, a former top aide to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, is now with the Pac-10.

2003

2004

2005

1997 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

FOOTBALL AND

TEXAS

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT

‘THE BIG TWELVE’?

A ‘DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY’ The Big Twelve in its current state is somewhat of a ‘dysfunctional family’. With a variety of issues ranging from poor communication to lack of support for fellow conference teams, this conference seem to be anything but together. From the lack of correspondence amongst schools, to its mere attempt to connect with its audience, the Big Twelve Conference shows great signs of weakness in areas of communication, struggling both internally and externally. The Big Twelve needs to find a way to get everyone on the same page by becoming a more motivating and inspiring brand in general, and learning to demonstrate a new sense of pride.

THE BIG TWELVE

BUNCH

01. WHO WE WERE

AN UNEXPECTED

CHANGE

CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT It was in June 2010 that American intercollegiate sports news became rife with speculation that the Big Twelve Conference was on the verge of dissolution, including rumors of dividing the teams largely between the Pac-10 and Big Ten conferences. Students and fans alike were worried that this may mean their forever familiar conferences may not be of existence for much longer. On June 10, the University of Colorado accepted an invitation to become the Pac-10’s eleventh member, effective in 2012. The school later negotiated a settlement with the Big Twelve to leave on June 30, 2011. The following day the University of Nebraska applied for, and was unanimously accepted to join the Big Ten conference, becoming the Big Ten’s twelfth member, effective in 2011. At the time, it was believed that the loss of Nebraska would ultimately lead to the collapse of the Big Twelve. However, on June 14, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State officially declined invitations from the Pac-10 in order to stay in the Big Twelve. Now feeling somewhat ‘left in the dust’ by two schools of the division, the Big Twelve Conference finds itself asking many questions, pondering and analyzing the many potential series of events the near-future may hold for the organization. Furthermore, it leaves its students, fans and members alike just wondering, what’s next?

“SUCCESS BUILDS CHARACTER, FAILURE REVEALS IT”

02.

WHERE WE’RE GOING AND HOW WE’RE GONNA GET THERE

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

AND CREATING A SOLUTION

02. WHERE WE’RE GOING

THE BOTTOM LINE Some may look at the conference realignment as a completely negative circumstance, one that ruined the ‘great system’ we had going. While it is unfortunate to lose those long stead rivalries and continuously superior competition from both the Huskers and Buffaloes, we can look at the situation in a different way, seeing upsides to the matter. Firstly, the fact that the Big Twelve has been forced to deal with these changes of realignment give it the chance to make a new name for itself. Additionally, it seems as though all of the conference teams will be able to play each other in regular season, which is exciting that all of those match-ups will take place. The realignment of the conference should be looked at as nothing less than a chance for the ten schools of the New Big Twelve Conference to come together and show the world what they’re about; that they are strong, not weak, and that will continue to be a forceful contender in both athletic and academic divisions. When considering the ways the conference can change other’s perceptions, one area it specifically needs work in is pride. Despite the success the conference has experienced in the past, the Big Twelve does a poor job of displaying this. Not only does the Big Twelve not do a great job of promoting itself, schools seem only interested in competition amongst each other, not really showing any sort of support when out of conference play takes place. With schools only focused on competing against each other it makes it difficult to be supportive of each other’s success, and the success of the conference as a whole. When we think about its amazing fans, incredibly dedicated athletes, successful students and a compassionate administrative staff, it should be easy for schools to understand the importance of coming together and how great the Big Twelve is as one. Overall, the realignment gives the Big Twelve Conference a much-needed opportunity to redefine itself and start over. It will be able to make the necessary changes in communication and to create a sense pride like never before. It is right now, this very moment in time, that the organization must realize the importance of gaining each other’s support, trust and friendship and how moving forward is the only direction it can go.

Change has happened. It’s time to show the world what the Big Twelve Conference can be. And will be.

DRILL DOWN

SO WHAT?

02. WHERE WE’RE GOING

WHERE’S THE COMMUNICATION? The Conference doesn’t do a great job communicating with each other or with its external audience.

SO WHAT? SO WHAT? SO WHAT?

This can lead to a variety of problems and create distance amongst the Big Twelve audience. We should be able to talk about issues and other matters as they come up. Everyone should be informed and everyone should feel equal, students and fans alike.

WHERE’S THE PRIDE? With much success in the past for the conference as a whole, the Big Twelve doesn’t do a good job of expressing its pride.

SO WHAT? SO WHAT? SO WHAT?

This affects the overall impression of our conference in a negative way. We want to be perceived in a positive manner. We have reason, athletically and academically, to be proud–why not show it?

WHERE IS THE LOVE? Schools lack support amongst each other in the conference and only focus on competing against each other.

SO WHAT? SO WHAT? SO WHAT?

We hardly ever give other schools the support and respect they deserve. We tend to only compete and not cheer for each other. If we come together we can grow and attract other schools to strengthen our conference. We should be proud of all schools within the Big Twelve and root for their success always.

AND THEN THERE WERE TEN... With the new conference realignment having taken place and Colorado and Nebraska leaving the Big Twelve Conference, only ten schools remain.

SO WHAT? SO WHAT? SO WHAT?

We have to do everything it takes and stick together, or the Big Twelve will be no more. We need to have a positive attitude, continue to be competitive and improve our overall ‘image’. We can always look for more schools to join us in the future.

GETTING A DIFFERENT

PERSPECTIVE

MEET CHRIS THE STUDENT Not only does Chris have to spend his days worrying about getting his design projects done on time, but also has to figure out how to pay for them. School is expensive as is. From books to housing, food to extra curricular activities, even finding the time to work a side job to make some decent money proves difficult. Scholarships for anyone but athletes are rare to come by, at least to an extent that really makes a difference. In all actuality it isn’t too fair, and doesn’t really make sense. Alhtough he understands that sports are what drives America and this school in the same, he wonders if he will ever have the chance to be a consideration for scholarship money even though he isn’t an athlete. He works hard too.

02. WHERE WE’RE GOING

EXISTING FUNCTIONAL

VS IDEAL FUNCTIONAL

The Big Twelve Conference favors the support of athletics,

The Big Twelve Conference supports both academic and

while still somewhat helping to develop the academic

athletics in every way possible and does its best to aid in any

side of things.

way it can matching amounts in scholarship money for both.

MENTAL

I don’t feel like I’m a part of the Big Twelve Conference,

Whether on the debate team or a basketball player, the Big

unless I’m an athlete.

Twelve Conference makes me feel as though I am an important individual and they want to help me succeed in every way possible.

SOCIAL

I do my best to support the athletics and attend all the

I attend any sports events I can. Fellow students are often

games. That’s what drives this school.

recognized for work on campus projects at the games.

SPIRITUAL

The Big Twelve Conference makes its athletes feel important

The Big Twelve makes all students feel as though they are

and does its best to support them, while not really aiding

equals and does a good job of incorporating both athletics and

academically-driven students in the meantime.

academics the same.

MEET ZOEY THE FAN Zoey is more than your average dedicated fan. For years now she has made a point to attend all of the games and be as supportive as she possibly could. With an ex-boyfriend that’s an avid Oklahoma fan and who only wants to talk about her alma mater of the Texas Longhorns in a negative way, Zooey finds herself always arguing about the competition instead of supporting it, even when they aren’t playing each other. She wants to be supportive of all of the Big Twelve Conference schools, but when others want to talk like that it makes it difficult to want to support them in any way.

02. WHERE WE’RE GOING

EXISTING

FUNCTIONAL

VS IDEAL FUNCTIONAL

The Big Twelve Conference doesn’t support each other all

The Big Twelve Conference’s members, fans and students

that well, and instead focuses purely on competition.

strive to work together to be the best conference across the US.

MENTAL

I am proud of my school alone and only want to see it do

I feel proud to be a part of the Big Twelve Conference and am

well. I could care less about the other schools in the Big

happy to see when fellow conference teams are successful.

Twelve.

SOCIAL SOCIAL

I support and cheer for all schools in the conference.

I avoid events with friends from other schools because it will only cause an argument.

SPIRITUAL The Big Twelve makes all schools feel as though they are

SPIRITUAL I feel happy when we win and when other Big Twelve schools lose, even if it’s out of conference play.

equals and does a good job of incorporating all schools in various events. It

“WE MUST BECOME THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE.”

03.

WHO WE ARE

AND WHAT WE’LL DO

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS GETTING SOMEWHERE IS TO DECIDE

THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE

NEW BRAND

POSITIONING MISSION To celebrate the past and future successes of the Big Twelve Conference with a new and improved sense of pride for fellow schools and the organization as a whole while creating and maintaining effective communication systems, both internally and externally.

VISION All members of the Big Twelve feel like a part of the team and generate a sense of pride of both their school and the conference as a whole. Academics and athletics are one in the same and all students feel important and work hard to support each other and the organization.

VALUES Pride, Unity, Communication, Growth, Success

BENEFIT Creates a unified group incorporating both academic and athletic levels while encompassing every area of both of these divisions, showing support through promoted success.

POSITIONING To be a healthy and successful conference and to compete, yet work together. Appreciate each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; successes. Be proud as a whole. Be an inspiration.

STYLE Bold, Modern, Classic, Clean, Inspiring

03. WHO WE ARE

BRAND

GOALS

PROMOTE

SUCCESS BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

MAINTAIN

TRADITION “Tradition simply means that we need to end what began well and continue what is worth continuing.”

COMPETE, YET WORK

TOGETHER “In union there is strength.”

CREATE A NEW SENSE OF

PRIDE “Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity.”

INSPIRE VISUALLY AND MENTALLY

“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”

IT’S TIME

WELCOME TO

THE NEW BIG TWELVE

OUR MISSION We are committed to a competitive environment, where sportsmanship and fair play take center stage. Whether on the field, in the classroom, or within the community, the students, athletes, administrators, coaches and game officials of the Big Twelve support the highest ideals in sportsmanship.

03. WHO WE ARE

EXTENDING THE INVITATION As both the University of Colorado and University of Nebraska part from the conference in the coming months, the Big Twelve will strive to remain an organization that displays tough competition and an inspiring sense of pride. Although it may seem weird to some that the New Big Twelve Conference has only ten members, this matter should only instigate the potentiality of expansion within the conference. Furthermore, the Big Twelve is always on the lookout for additional schools who share the same insight, ideals and goals to join them in being a part of this incredible and forever successful organization.

MEET OUR

HEROES

COACH BILL SELF Driven. Compassionate. Successful.

The amazing coach. The dedicated family man. Just a genuine human being in general. An obviously well-rounded person, Bill knows and understands what it takes to be successful. He preaches the importance of teamwork and continually coaches his team with positive reinforcement. He works hard and plays hard. An unselfish and humble leader, and undoubtedly a true genius at what he does, he is just the type of guy who understands that it takes coming together and growing a must along the journey to success.

03. WHO WE ARE

The ever so courageous leader of a movement in time that was world changing, Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a significant figure from our past. During his lifetime, King’s actions showed how he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in. He showed support for everyone and everything around him, and never made it about himself. Not only that, with his “message of peaceful resistance and racial equality”, Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired people around the world by stopping them to think and to take action, all because of ‘a dream’.

Courageous. Significant. Inspiring.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

“A BRAND THAT CAPTURES YOUR MIND GAINS BEHAVIOR, A BRAND THAT CAPTURES YOUR HEART GAINS COMMITMENT”

04.

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE IDENTITY AND APPLICATION

THE MARK ABOUT THE MARK This mark represents ideas of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;modernizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and looking ahead to the future, while maintaining an element of tradition as demonstrated through the incorporation of the roman numeral twelve. The new mark is clean, bold and memorable. Through its various means of application, it is inspiring and effective. The new realignment not only gives the Big Twelve Conference a chance to change itself from a mental perspective, but a visual perspective as well.

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE

FONT RULES The font is used only in its capital letter form and is always aligned to the center. Using the two styles of this typeface help to show hierarchal levels within the text. Words that are to be emphasized utilize the bold version of the font. Solid black is used on light or white backgrounds and solid white is used on dark or black backgrounds, just as the mark itself. When used by or within the individual schools of the conference, the font’s color can change accordingly.

FONT NAME TRADE GOTHIC LH EXTENDED

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff

FONT NAME TRADE GOTHIC LH BOLD EXTENDED

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff COMPETE, YET WORK

Examples

TEL 469.524.1000

TOGETHER

6PT / 4PT

DAN BEEBE COMMISIONER

7PT / 8PT

BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE

LOGO IMAGE+TYPE Image should measure equal to one-third of the length the type creates. The primary mark includes two versions. Just as with the type on everything hierarchy should be emphasized and solid white mark for black/ dark backgrounds, by use of the bold version of the font.

¾”

B I G T W E LV E C O N F E R E N C E

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE Brand Specifications

¾”

SCHOOL APPLICATION TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

IOWA STATE UNIVERISTY

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

IOWA STATE UNIVERISTY

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERISTY OF MISSOURI

UNIVERSITY OF BAYLOR

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERISTY OF MISSOURI

UNIVERSITY OF BAYLOR

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Application for individual schools is demonstrated to the left. The color is filled in the negative space of the mark to form the logo with the school’s specific color.

LOGO APPLICATION For use on a dark or black background the logo is used in its solid white form with the negative space creating the roman numeral twelve. This rule applies in the exact opposite manner for use on a light or white background.

BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE

In all cases of use, the logo is always centered. The text, if needed, is placed directly below the logo and is also aligned by center.

On grayscale imagery the logo is applied using the ‘multilply’ effect, creating a seethrough appearance. On full-color imagery the logo is applied in its solid state in either black or white and is determined by the contrast and color of the background itself. The point is for it to stand out, so ideally, the more contrast it creates, the better.

APPLICATION OF THE

IDENTITY

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE Stationery System

BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE

DAN BEEBE COMMISIONER D B E E B E @ B I G T W E LV E . C O M

TEL 469.524.1000

4 0 0 E A S T J O H N C A R P E N T E R F R E E W AY

FAX 469.524.1002

•

I R V I N G, T X 7 5 0 6 2

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE Web Presence

IPHONE APP The Big Twelve Conference iPod/iPhone application lets you personalize your settings by choosing a specific sport and your favorite team. The application allows you to look at all conference schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletic sites and blogs, compare rankings of the conference teams with non-conference teams, and check current scores along with other dynamic sport application features.

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE iPhone Application

PERSONALIZED SETTINGS Settings shown to the left include The University of Kansas and Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball and Oklahoma State University and Football. This setting affects the visual appearance of the application at the top of the screen along with what information is displayed as you navigate through various parts of the application such as schedule, rankings, photos, etc.

G R E A T

M O M E N T S

FOOTBALL

P H O T O S

F R O M

T H E

BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE 12-MONTH CALENDAR

2 0 11

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE 12-Month ‘Great Moments in Football’ Calendar

I N

12-MONTH CALENDAR This calendar commemorates great photography from Big Twelve Conference football with each team having its own month within the calendar.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

SEPTEMBER 2011 S U N D AY

M O N D AY

T U E S D AY

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

F R I D AY

S AT U R D AY

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE 12-Month ‘Great Moments in Football’ Calendar

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

UNIVERSITY OF BAYLOR

AUGUST 2011

JULY 2011 S U N D AY

M O N D AY

T U E S D AY

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

F R I D AY

S U N D AY

S AT U R D AY

M O N D AY

T U E S D AY

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

F R I D AY

S AT U R D AY

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

JUNE 2011 S U N D AY

M O N D AY

T U E S D AY

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

APRIL 2011 F R I D AY

S AT U R D AY

S U N D AY

M O N D AY

T U E S D AY

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

F R I D AY

S A T U R D AY

LOGO APPLICATION The Big Twelve Conference iPhone Application allows the user to personalize the settings by selecting his or her school and sport of choice.

04. WHAT WE LOOK LIKE Additional Application

A LOOK AT THE ROAD

AHEAD

WHAT’S NEXT? Kansas City, Mo. / http://www.kansan.com “The two institutions didn’t think there was any damage to the conference,” Beebe said. “We thought there was significant damage.” Nebraska athletics director Tom Osborne expressed his enthusiasm that the deal got done.“We feel the long-term benefits of entering into the Big Ten, both academically and athletically, will make this a very good investment,” Osborne said in a statement. Colorado Chancellor Phil DiStefano said they still have kept strong ties to the Big Twelve, despite leaving it.“Even as we leave for an exciting future in the Pac-10 Conference, we value the great friendships and memorable rivalries we have been a part of, and we appreciate the good faith Commissioner Dan Beebe has shown in working with us on our exit from the conference,” DiStefano said. The departure of both schools from the Big Twelve will avert a potential scheduling problem had Colorado stayed and Nebraska left, as was rumored to be likely. With only 10 teams in the conference, the schools will play a round-robin schedule in football, with each team playing every other team once, and a double roundrobin in basketball. Beebe told the 10 remaining Big Twelve schools that, upon the conference’s renewal of its television contract in 2011, the schools will see an increase in revenue distribution from as little as $7 million per school to $17 million per school each year. The new figure would equal the SEC’s television contract revenue distribution, which has become staunchly established as the most lucrative deal in the country since its signing last year. The remaining schools would also divide the more than $20 million in buyout payments from Nebraska and Colorado. The new plan would also allow schools to establish their own television networks, which is believed to have been a longtime desire for Texas. With television money the largest motivating factor in conference realignment, it appears that Beebe, who has been much-maligned for his previously unsuccessful handling of the situation, has found the play that could salvage what is left of his conference. “My plan is about what’s best for the citizens in this part of the country and for the student-athletes and not having this section of the country with all its major institutions connected to conferences that aren’t even here. We shouldn’t be a fly-over zone,” Beebe told Orangebloods.com on Sunday. The plan also states that the conference would stay, for now at least, as a 10-team conference.

AND THAT’S THE

NEW BIG TWELVE