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BRAD GALBREATH

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The Big 12 might be here to stay, but its commissioner is on the way out.

Dan Beebe was seen as a hero for keeping the Big 12 together after last summer’s realignment chaos. But as ESPN’s Part Forde explains, Beebe’s image has plummeted.

“There’s been a gathering tide of momentum against Beebe continuing on if the Big 12 was going to make it through this latest round of realignment discussion. It does look like the Big 12 is going to move forward as an entity, but not with Beebe. He had become kind of a lightning rod for criticism there.”

The Kansas City Star explains how Beebe ended up on the chopping block.

“Beebe’s job came in question earlier this week when a report out of Oklahoma said a condition for the Sooners’ continued membership in the Big 12 was to have a new commissioner... He was perceived by some as being too willing to do the bidding of the University of Texas.”

So it’s Oklahoma vs. Texas once again. But Berry Tramel of NewsOK favors the Sooners in this installment of the Red River Rivalry.

“I think this is a pretty pro-active move by OU to do this because they’re not just trying to patch the conference together. They’re trying to fix it with fundamental change, leadership at the top and the root cause of much of the consternation. So I think that bodes well for the Big 12.”

So if Beebe is on the way out, who is stepping in? CBS Sports reports that it will most likely be a familiar face, former Big Eight Commissioner Chuck Neinas.

“His hiring would seem to be formality considering Neinas has conducted employment searches for seven of the current nine members of the Big 12. Neinas should be a unifying force in a fractured league."

With the daily up and downs and who-likes-who, one Florida Times-Union blogger has had enough- likening the college realignment chaos to…middle school.

“Does anyone else expect a Big 12 school to come out and say, “Well, we’d like to come over and play, but only if Dan Beebe isn’t invited. The SEC likes Missouri. No, it doesn’t. It likes another school. Susie likes Billy. Not anymore. Now she likes Tommy. Wait, it’s Thursday, so that means now she likes Eddie.”

With Texas A&M still finalizing its move to the SEC, the Big 12 might try to replace the Aggies with BYU. Unless Susie changes her mind.

Transcript by Newsy