Big 12 football: Britton Banowsky for commissioner?
During his kickoff teleconference Friday, interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas dropped the name of Britton Banowsky, using the Conference USA commissioner as an example of quality leadership.
Sudden thought: Is Banowsky the next permanent commissioner of the embattled Big 12?
Some around the league have mentioned Banowsky as the likely successor to Neinas, or Dan Beebe, depending on how you look at it. Big 12 presidents jettisoned Beebe on Thursday, a sacrifice to those upset that the Big 12 is about to lose another school. The Big 12 will be down to nine members from its original dozen, when Texas A&M departs.
Banowsky, 51, holds degrees in business and law from OU. His father, Bill, was OU’s president from 1978 through 1984.
Neinas brought up Banowsky’s name when asked if the Big 12 would consider expansion targets from Conference USA or the Mountain West, leagues with which Neinas is working on an alliance project. Neinas said under that scenario, he would talk with the commissioners of those leagues.
Neinas talked about how Banowsky handled the mass defection of schools from Conference USA in 2005 (Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida, North Carolina-Charlotte, Saint Louis and TCU). “He handled it in an unbelievable manner,” Neinas said. “He provided opportunity for them to leave without disrupting the operation.”
Banowsky has been Conference USA commissioner for nine years. He replaced Mike Slive, who became commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.
Banowsky was an assistant commissioner of the old Southwest Conference. He then became commissioner of the Southland Conference. Banowsky joined the Big 12 during its formation in 1995, as legal counsel and associate commissioner.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Sounds like quid pro quo. Plus, if a king-maker like Neinas mentions it, Banowsky’s ascension is probably a lot further along than what shows on the surface. Banowsky has done a solid job leading Conference USA from it’s days as a midwest basketball league into a more Texas-centric football league. More importantly, he got a league with a lesser profile than the Mountain West a much better, higher-paying TV package.
[...] SMU, and Central Florida decided to leave earlier this week for the Big East. Banowsky has been rumored to be a candidate for the open Big 12 conference commissioners job. That job is currently held, on an interim basis, by [...]
I’m hoping that Banowsky can be OU’s next President!