Rock M Nation, a Missouri Tigers community

On June 3, Beebe pushed for Deaton to declare allegiance to the Big 12. Beebe sent an e-mail to Deaton after reading an Associated Press story about the Big 12 spring meetings that included a quote from Deaton that said, "We’re not shutting our ears to anything."

Beebe wrote: "I admire you greatly Brady, but the quote at the end of this article, which is being written about throughout the country, is what is damaging us so badly. We have to have an unequivocal commitment in a few days!!"

Unbelievable. The five "leftovers" (KU, KSU, ISU, BU, Mizzou) agreed to sign over their share of CU/NU's buyout money to UT/OU/A&M.

"The latest information, which was relayed to PowerMizzou.com late last night is that the Aggies may have told the SEC they would like Missouri to be included in that league's expansion as well."

"Big 10 it is.."

These acts of immorality are the only things keeping me quiet,
Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm only as loyal as my options?

With all the talk and stories of Big Ten might, it was clear during the interview Beebe and the Big 12 have just about had enough. The commissioner made it clear they are quietly working on several possibilities he said could lead to a conference without Missouri and Nebraska that would be stronger than the league it is today.

The Big Ten Conference has extended initial offers to join the league to four universities including Missouri and Nebraska from the Big 12, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations.

An initial report commissioned by the Big Ten Conference offered this suggestion to conference officials: Just say yes to expansion.

...

"The point was: We can all get richer if we bring in the right team or teams," the source said.

The five analyzed were Missouri, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Rutgers. The source, though, called those five "the obvious suspects" and cautioned that other universities could earn consideration.

In 2008, Missouri athletics collected $8.4 million, behind the universities of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas A&M. Texas led the way with $10.2 million. Some estimates forecast this year's payout to Missouri will be about $10 million as conference revenue continues to grow.

The Big Ten, by comparison, passed along nearly $207 million to its members in 2008. Each member school received about $18.8 million. Accounting for a 12th school, the disbursements would still top $17 million each. That number is estimated to grow to more than $20 million this year

The Big XII isn't as much "dysfunctional" as just plain underutilized; no conference with Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska should be such an afterthought on the national landscape. But lo and behold, a defection to the Big Ten by Missouri (that's very, very happening, by the way; the Big 10 would love to get in on the St. Louis market, and Missouri's brass have been writing "MIZZOU + BIG TEN 4EVER" on their Trapper Keepers ever since the BXI mentioned the word "expansion") will shock the conference into action. It might be ugly, and we're highly skeptical that Baylor survives the, ahem, restructuring.