Perhaps it won’t get any worse. Maybe this is as low as it goes. But for Baylor, its athletic department and its devastated basketball program, nothing is certain when it comes to the future.

The world’s largest Baptist university is facing a burgeoning scandal with no end in sight. The shooting death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy, the arrest of a former teammate and the resignation and shaming of basketball coach Dave Bliss have raised basic questions.

Should Baylor remain in the Big 12 Conference? Should the Big 12 evict Baylor?

The first only can be answered over the next months by the school’s leadership. The other, for now, has an answer that provides Baylor with its only good news in the past month.

“I have not received any calls from conference members raising questions about Baylor’s membership status,” Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said. “That’s not been an issue previously in any conference meeting, and I don’t anticipate it will be raised in terms of the current infractions problem.”

For the Big 12 to dismiss a conference member, nine votes are required.

Three presidents of Big 12 schools contacted by the Star-Telegram over the weekend were staunch in their support of Baylor’s remaining in the conference.

“I haven’t heard anyone suggest that Baylor should leave the Big 12,” Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway said. “Personally, I don’t think that would be a good idea for them or for the conference.”

Added Nebraska President Harvey Perlman, “Baylor being asked to leave, that’s not something I’ve heard or would anticipate.”

And Jon Wefald, the Kansas State president: “I don’t see that nine presidents in the Big 12 would vote to expel Baylor, and I certainly haven’t heard anything like that.”

Big 12 bylaws don’t list criteria for adding or subtracting a school. When a school leaves the Big 12 to join another conference, it must give two years’ notice. During that time, its share of conference revenue is reduced by half. If a school gives less than two years’ notice, its share is reduced by 75 percent.

Baylor’s leadership could decide that the current scandal surrounding the basketball program is a sign that competing in the Big 12 comes at too steep a price.

In seven seasons, the basketball team is 33-79 in Big 12 games and has never had a winning record in conference play. The football team has only four Big 12 victories.

Will Baylor decide it’s futile, and too costly for the school’s persona, to keep trying?

“If that decision was made, that would surprise me,” Hemenway said. “It’s clear that Baylor has some very serious problems. I think there is an expectation from the Big 12 that they’ll be able to get things fixed in the right way.”