Dan Beebe working on agreement to exit as Big 12 commissioner
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
Dan Beebe was working Wednesday on an agreement to leave his position as Big 12 Conference commissioner, according to two sources with knowledge of Beebe's decision.
The announcement of Beebe's departure is expected to come today.
"He's working on his exit package right now," one of the sources, who spoke directly to Beebe, told The Star on Wednesday night.
"A couple of weeks ago he told me privately that if the conference stayed together and he had to go it would be like lifting up a huge weight off his heart."
That source added that Beebe, who is an attorney, "has his best lawyer hat on now."
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. His exit comes as the conference decides how to move forward with nine teams next season after losing a member for the third time in 15 months.
One of the things that contributed to Beebe's decision to leave, according to the source, was how he was perceived by some as being too willing to do the bidding of the University of Texas.
"Up in your neck of the woods," said the source, "he is considered a puppet for Texas."
The problem, said the source, who is based in Texas, is that "nobody down here thinks that there is anybody in the Big 12 but Texas and Oklahoma.
