Conference Realignment: Why Dan Beebe Should Be Fired as Big 12 Commissioner

After the Pac-12 opted not to expand on Tuesday, the University of Oklahoma has threatened to leave the Big 12 if ESPN's (Texas'?) Longhorn Network isn't restructured and commissioner Dan Beebe isn't fired.

And Oklahoma has a point.

It was Beebe who allowed Texas to partner up with ESPN and gain an unfair recruitment advantage over the rest of the conference. It was Beebe who tried to move on as if nothing happened. It was Beebe who set this whole extravaganza in motion in the first place.

Per ESPN, a presidential teleconference will take place on Thursday to discuss long-term solutions to a problem that really can't be fixed unless the Longhorn Network ceases to be. A simple majority vote among the member schools is needed to oust Commissioner Beebe. And not doing so would taint the Big 12's reputation even more than it already has been under Beebe.

You want to know why the Pac-12 opted not to expand? First of all, because its commissioner, Larry Scott, is one of the best in college football. Another reason? You guessed it, the Longhorn Network. The Pac-12 didn't want to adjust its revenue-sharing plan just for the sake of Texas, which would have joined the conference along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

The truth is the only way the Big 12 will remain intact is if the Longhorn Network ceases to be or Texas agrees to share money from the network. Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds has already said the school won't be sharing this money with the rest of the conference. You know, the money from its 20-year, $300 million deal with ESPN.

Beebe oversaw all of this, undoubtedly understood the advantage Texas would have, but simply didn't do his job. His job is to monitor the conference and make sure shady deals like this don't happen. What good is a commissioner if he can't protect his conference?

You want to know why Scott has become so popular and so well-respected? Because he fights for his conference. He has taken a conference that previously had no business being in the BCS discussion and has since produced three top-25 teams in Oregon, Stanford and USC. All Oregon did was make a trip to the BCS Championship game last season.

Scott knew that inviting Texas into the conference under its deal with ESPN would hurt his conference, not help it.

Beebe failed at his job and, what's worse, blatantly disregarded the Big 12's safety. He should be fired.