The Kansas Board of Regents, the governing body for Kansas University and Kansas State University, on Wednesday released a letter it sent to the Nebraska Board of Regents and the Missouri Board of Curators earlier this week regarding the future of the Big 12 Conference.

The letter addressed recent rumors and the board’s concern that Nebraska University and Missouri University might be exploring the possibility of expanding into the Big Ten Conference in the near future.

“Our universities, their students and alumni, and our states have all greatly benefited from over a century’s worth of tradition and healthy competition,” said Regent Jill Docking of Wichita, the Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. “We have asked the Nebraska and Missouri governing boards to join us as partners to address the

challenges associated with the evolution of intercollegiate athletics rather than setting off as individuals. The very future of the Big 12 may rest in the hands of these two boards, and we hope their decisions will honor the long-term partnership we’ve had with these schools.”

KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little also reached out to both schools recently in hopes of talking them into sticking with the Big 12 into the future.

The Big 12 has set a Friday deadline for both schools to declare their intentions. Neither school has received an official invitation from the Big Ten yet, however a recent report indicated Wednesday that Nebraska might be leaning toward heading to the Big Ten.

The following is a direct copy of the letter that was sent by the Kansas Board of Regents. It was signed by Docking, vice chair Gary Sherrer and president and CEO Dr. Andy Tompkins.

Letter from Kansas Board of Regents

To the Nebraska Board of Regents and the Missouri Board of Curators:

On behalf of the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing board of Kansas State University (K-State) and the University of Kansas (KU),

we write to you regarding the future of the Big 12 Conference. It is our understanding, that after 14 years of Big 12 membership, you are

now considering departing for a different conference. We strongly urge you to retain your Big 12 membership thus preserving, among other things, a long tradition of healthy competition that benefits our universities, their students and alumni, and our states.

We are unwavering in our belief that the best course for K-State and KU is continued joint membership in the Big 12. Over the past 14 years, Big 12 universities have displayed consistent success both on the field and in the classroom. The intense competition that has taken place in the athletic arena has carried over into the academic classrooms, thus strengthening the core academic missions of the 12 member universities. In addition, Big 12 membership has allowed our student athletes to avoid excessive time out of class due to the geographic proximity of the member universities – a vitally important attribute that not all conferences possess.

While the Big 12 member universities have undoubtedly benefited from the past 14 of years of partnership, Nebraska, Missouri, K-State, and KU are in a unique position to be able to point to over a century’s worth of tradition. The KU/Missouri football rivalry dates back to 1891, while the KU/Nebraska rivalry dates back to 1892. The K-State/Missouri football rivalry dates back to 1909, while the K-State/Nebraska rivalry dates back to 1911. All four universities had become members of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by 1913, and this valuable partnership continued through the life of the Big 8 Conference and continues today in the Big 12.

The evolution of intercollegiate athletics will continue to present challenges to our universities, but we believe we can best meet those challenges as partners rather than as individuals. Again, we strongly urge you to retain your Big 12 membership by renewing your commitment to the Conference. The Kansas Board of Regents stands ready to meet with you; this issue is of paramount importance not only to our universities, their students and alumni, but also to our states.