The first day of last weekend’s NFL draft confirmed the obvious: In the area of rating conferences, the race strictly is for second place. The Southeastern Conference is in a class by itself.

Ninety-nine players were selected in the first three rounds. Rather than look at the number of draft choices from each conference, assign a point value to each pick. The first selection counts for 99 points, with each descending pick counting for one less point, all the way to one point for the 99th choice.

The results, with the number of players chosen in parentheses:

1. SEC, 1,317 points (21 selections); 2. Big Ten, 872 (16); 3. Atlantic Coast Conference, 648 (13); 4. Big 12, 522 (9); 5. Pac-10, 470 (13); 6. Big East, 224 (3); 7. Mountain West, 202 (4); 8. Western Athletic, 191 (6); 9. Mid-American, 156 (4); 10. Conference USA, 86 (3).

Such things are cyclical to a degree, as evidenced by a down year for the Pac-10. Still, it’s not encouraging that the Big 12 ranks behind the ACC.

The NFL draft is designed to strengthen the weak teams but has the opposite effect on college football. Players want to attend a school that sends the most athletes to the NFL. The rich get richer.

It’s too early to panic about the Big 12’s showing, but not too early to begin wondering if the conference is slipping, however subtly.

Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson was the first Big 12 player selected, going No. 7 to the Minnesota Vikings. Oklahoma didn’t have another player chosen until the sixth round, when linebacker Rufus Alexander also went to the Vikings. Defensive end C.J. Ah You was taken by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round. Texas (four players) and Nebraska (three) accounted for all but two of the Big 12’s first-day selections. Kansas State return specialist Yamon Figurs, chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round, was the other first-day selection.

Overall, Texas had seven players drafted, including a pair of defensive backs (Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross) in the first round. Defensive end Adam Carriker, taken with the 13th pick, was the second Big 12 player and first of four Cornhuskers chosen.

Three players from Kansas State and three from Texas Tech were drafted. Baylor, Colorado and Oklahoma State each had two players drafted. Iowa State and Missouri each had one. Kansas and Texas A&M didn’t have a player selected. Meanwhile, LSU alone had four first-round selections.

The Big 12 won’t catch the SEC anytime soon, but given that four Boise State players, all recruited by Colorado’s Dan Hawkins, were drafted over the weekend, the Buffaloes should do better in a few years. Iowa State is confident former Texas assistant Gene Chizik will upgrade recruiting. It won’t be easy. He’ll face the same problems Kansas coach Mark Mangino faces. Once Chizik offers a scholarship to a player, a more successful program, perhaps even one from the SEC, will check out the player more closely. If Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma or an SEC school decides to pull the trigger on the player, the player’s ego will force him to go to the bigger program.

That same sort of slotting by high school athletes and their advisors that benefits the Kansas basketball program, hinders the football programs of KU and the rest of the second-division Big 12 schools.