Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has "received a two-year contract extension" through June '19, according to Chuck Carlton of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. The extension was approved by the Big 12 BOD and "finalized following the conference’s spring meetings last month." Financial terms were not available. Bowlsby "was given a five-year contract when he was hired two years ago this month." He "has brought stability to the conference, finalizing 13-year TV agreements with ESPN/ABC and Fox" worth $2.6B. The conference distributed a record $220.1M in revenue, translating into $23M "for a full share." That is "nearly double" the $12.1M average per school in '11, based on $145M in revenue. Bowlsby expects that this figure will increase $3M next year and to more than $43M "per school at the end of the TV deal" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/20). In Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel writes Bowlsby "might not have a bigger fan" than Univ. of Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale. She said, "He’s the best there is. We are positioned as strong, if not stronger, than any league in the country. His insight and ability to project is unlike anyone I’ve known in the business. He’s a star" (OKLAHOMAN, 6/20).
