Everything you wanted to know about Big 12 Conference and Kansas University football at mid-summer, but were too caught up in the Royals’ stirring drive to avoid the AL Central basement to ask Â

Q: Why are Kansas University and all the other NCAA Div. I-A schools playing 12 games this season instead of 11?

A: The NCAA legislated an extra game in years when 14 Saturdays appear between the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November. Other years that fall through this gridiron Gregorian sieve are 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2019. To tell the truth, many people believe this legislation is actually a two-year trial that will lead to a revenue-enhancing 12-game schedule every year.

Q: The nomadic Big 12 Conference football championship game. Where will it be this year?

A: At Houston’s Reliant Stadium, a new facility constructed next door to the Astrodome that will be the home of an NFL-expansion franchise, the cleverly nicknamed Houston Texans. By the way, do not confuse Reliant Stadium with Minute Maid Stadium, home of baseball’s Astros, and formerly known as Enron Stadium.

Q: Somebody told me Troy State will play three Big 12 teams this fall. Can that be?

A: Yes, it’s true and, believe it or not, one of the three is not Kansas State. Troy (Ala.) State will play at Nebraska on Aug. 31, at Iowa State on Sept. 21 and Missouri on Sept. 28. Troy State also has road games on tap at Mississippi State and Arkansas as well. In other words, while the Trojans become a full-time NCAA Div. I-A member this fall, they will become part-time NCAA Div. I-A fodder in the process.

Q: Speaking of Kansas State, who are the beanbags on the Wildcats’ schedule this fall?

A: Western Kentucky, Eastern Illinois and the dreaded Louisiana-Monroe. KSU’s fourth nonconference foe is Southern Cal. Just think, if Louisiana-Monroe hadn’t changed its name from Northeast Louisiana, K-State could boast that all of its nonleague games are against compass points.

Q: How many bowl games will be played following the 2002 season?

A: You can find the same number on a February calendar in non-leap years. Yep, the NCAA has approved 28 bowl games with the addition of three more last May  the San Francisco Bowl, the Hawaii Bowl and the Queen City Bowl. Of course, those names will change as soon as those bowls come up with sponsors (The Rice-a-Roni San Francisco Bowl?). None of the three are affiliated with the Big 12, by the way. And, if you’re wondering, the Queen City Bowl will be in Charlotte, N.C. Oh, well  lose an NBA team, gain a bowl game.

Q: Colorado is Kansas University’s homecoming foe on Oct. 12. Will that game be televised and disrupt KU’s homecoming activities?

A: No one will know for sure until the TV people make an announcement two weeks before kickoff, but I’d say KU-CU looks like a solid possibility for television. Surely, the Oklahoma-Texas game scheduled that Saturday will be the ABC game at 2:30 p.m. That leaves KU-CU and four other games  Texas A&M at Baylor, Oklahoma State at Kansas State, Texas Tech at Iowa State and Missouri at Nebraska  for the 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. windows. You can probably scratch the first two, meaning KU-CU, Tech-ISU and MU-NU will probably be the finalists for the two openings.

Q: What is former KU head coach Terry Allen up to these days?

A: As associate head coach to Dan McCarney at Iowa State, Allen is busy helping prepare the Cyclones for their Aug. 24 opener against Florida State in the Eddie Robinson Classic at Arrowhead Stadium. Allen also coaches ISU’s tight ends.