Big 12's Beebe out, revenue sharing on table

By Jim Vertuno

Associated Press

Published: Thursday, Sept. 22 2011 8:01 p.m. MDT

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Summary

12 dumped its embattled commissioner Thursday and said nine schools had pledged to give their TV rights to the conference for the next six years, a step intended to preserve a fractured league that has lost two members in the past year and is expected to lose another by next summer.

Critics portrayed him as constantly being outmaneuvered by other league commissioners who were picking off his teams one by one and as someone beholden to Texas, the Big 12's biggest and wealthiest member.

"I put all my effort into doing what was best for the Big 12. With great fondness, I wish the Big 12 Conference a long and prosperous future," Beebe said in a statement released by the Big 12.

Last fall, Beebe was granted a three-year extension on his contract through 2015. When the extension was announced, University of Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton, chairman of the league's board of directors, said Beebe had been "an outstanding leader" during challenging times.

AP Sports Writers Jeff Latzke, Betsy Blaney and AP Writer Alan Scher Zagier contributed to this report.

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