Dan Beebe Officially Out As Big 12 Commissioner

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Dan Beebe and the Big 12 board of directors have come to a "mutual agreement" for him to leave his post as the conference's commissioner, the board announced Thursday.

Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis confirmed the speculations that former Big Eight Conference Commissioner Chuck Neinas would take over in the interim.

"We have hired Chuck Neinas as the interim commissioner to lead our conference," Hargis said. "While we decided new leadership at the conference was necessary, we also thanked Dan Beebe for his tireless efforts over the years, especially the past two years."

OU president David Boren said the decision to appoint Neinas was unanimous, and that Neinas would not be a candidate for the full-time position as commissioner of the Big 12.

Boren said it could be a couple of months before the Big 12 finds a new commissioner, and expressed his appreciation for the job Beebe did.

"It's no secret I've had some differences of opinion with Chancellor Beebe over time, but I certainly think he has always been motivated with a desire to serve the conference, and I think he has been sincere in that desire."

Neinas currently serves as the president of Neinas Sports Services, a consulting firm specializing in intercollegiate sports in areas of management, organization and personnel placement.

From 1980 to 1997, he served as the executive director of the College Football Association, negotiating television contracts and administered a television plan that included ABC, CBS, NBC and ESPN.

He may be most known to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fans as the former Big Eight commissioner, a post he served from 1971 to 1980. During his tenure as commissioner, he initiated a postseason tournament for both baseball and basketball.

Big 12 presidents and officials have expressed their desire to move forward and solidify the conference, especially in light of the Pac-12's decision on Tuesday to not expand from its current 12 teams.

Oklahoma reportedly laid down several ultimatums that it would require to stay in the Big 12, one of them the request to remove Beebe as commissioner.