Unwanted quartet in Big 12

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Big 12 shuffle has been filled with almost-hourly twists and turns, with all sorts of scenarios of teams on the move.

Nebraska and Missouri could be going to the Big Ten. Colorado could possibly be bound for the Pac-10. Another scheme involves half the conference heading west and becoming part of the Pac-16, or whatever you want to call it. Texas, the big-ticket prize in this program grab, might be going to the Southeastern, Big Ten or Pac-10 conferences.

But one thing seems clear: Nobody seems to want Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State.

The four schools aren’t football powers and don’t come from highly populated areas, making them less-than-exciting programs for conferences looking to expand.

“I’d like to think Kansas will land somewhere, but I’m kind of biased,” said Kevin Glatt, a Kansas junior-to-be. “But with the way things are going now, who knows what’s going to happen?”

The Big 12 held its annual meetings last week in Kansas City with a resolution to the possible dissolution not much clearer than it was a few weeks ago, when Nebraska and Missouri indicated interest in helping the Big Ten with its plans to get bigger. If anything, the jumble seems, well, more jumbled.

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has said the 14-year-old conference is taking steps to remain whole and university presidents seem to be on board with the idea.

But this process has to have full unity to work; the fate of the 12 is in the hands of a few.

Should Texas and Oklahoma, the biggest money-makers of the Big 12, decide to move on to greener pastures – TV deals in the Big Ten and possibly the Pac-10 could mean extra millions – the remaining schools could be in a bind. That’s why there’s been so much maneuvering; no one wants to get left behind in a conference going nowhere.

If the speculation is correct, eight schools at least have interest in being added to another conference. The other four? Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor could be left hitchhiking on the side of the road, not sure where to go.

Their problem starts on the gridiron. This program grab by other conferences appears to be mostly football-driven, the biggest revenue generator in college athletics.

Kansas is a Mount Rushmore-esque basketball program that had a short run in football, winning the 2008 Orange Bowl. The Jayhawks quickly faded back to mediocrity after that.

Kansas State has brought back the coach whose name is on the stadium in hopes of a second resurrection project. So far, it’s been slow going for Bill Snyder. Iowa State has been average at best in the Big 12’s weaker North Division and Baylor hasn’t stood a chance in the South.