The Big 12 will take the “first step this week toward finding a replacement” for interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas, according to Chuck Carlton of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Big 12 Associate Commissioner for Communications Bob Burda on Monday confirmed that the conference's BOD “will consider a search committee Thursday to pursue the league's next commissioner.” Neinas has repeatedly said that he “has no desire to be the eventual official replacement for Dan Beebe.” The BOD is also expected to “receive an update on the legal wrangling concerning West Virginia's exit" from the Big East (DALLASNEWS.com, 1/30). In West Virginia, Scott Grayson noted Neinas “spent part of his weekend in Morgantown delivering the keynote address to the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce.” He said that “further Big 12 expansion beyond that of TCU and West Virginia is unlikely in the near future.” Neinas: "We are currently at ten and very comfortable with ten." Big 12 members are “happy with the current structure,” as it creates “a fairness in competition.” Neinas: "As a ten team conference you play every team in the conference for football. You are not skipping any opponent.” He added, “In basketball, it is a double round-robin, so if you lose on the road, you get the same team at home. That is very appealing to our conference membership" (WVILLUSTRATED.com, 1/29).
