The news was a mild surprise since Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton was expected to use the opportunity to inform the rest of the conference of the school's planned departure. Deaton was given the power last week to make decisions on the future of the university's athletic program. An excerpt from the ESPN.com item:
Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas told the Kansas City Star that Missouri did not submit a letter of conditional withdrawal or notify the Big 12 that it planned to leave."The conference encouraged Missouri to stay in the Big 12," Neinas said, according to the report.
And in a news release, the Big 12 said "a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed" at the meeting.
The Tigers' expected departure for the Southeastern Conference has been reported as "imminent and inevitable."
The league also discussed the possibility of a conference-wide network.
On Monday, the board reaffirmed a previous resolution in which the league's members pledged to grant their Tier I (over-the-air) and Tier II (cable) media rights to the Big 12.
Texas A&M announced it would leave the Big 12 to become the SEC's 13th member last month.
Last June, Nebraska and Colorado left the Big 12 for the Big Ten and Pac-12, respectively.
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