The future of the Big 12 Conference once again is in flux. With rumors swirling that Texas A&M is considering a move to the Southeastern Conference, the other schools that remain in the Big 12 must take a hard look at what’s in the best interests not only of their own schools but also of the league as a whole.

As Big 12 schools in Kansas and elsewhere consider the future of the league, they should remember and respect the important role the Big 12 Conference plays in our regional identity. If, as some observers predict, the Big 12 simply disintegrates, scattering its member schools to the winds, it would be a huge loss for the nation’s heartland.

The association with a major conference is a benefit for the academic and research functions of the universities. It’s a group of schools that have some things in common beyond simple geography. They serve states that have some of the same needs and values, and they can learn from one another.

The most visible manifestation of those associations, however, occurs in athletic competition. It was sad to see the traditional Kansas rivalries with Nebraska and Colorado come to an end, but in the money-motivated world of college athletics, tradition didn’t matter much when other conferences made the schools a better financial offer.

So now Nebraska is part of the Big 10, which marginally makes sense, but Colorado in the renamed Pac 12? Colorado is a long way from the Pacific Ocean, and its state identity doesn’t seem to match up very well with other states in the conference — not to mention that many conference games now will be so far away that they will be difficult for students and other fans to attend.

Where would KU go if the Big 12 falls apart? The Big 10 (or 14 or 16) would be an option. Some observers also mention the Big East. The Big East? Kansas isn’t in the East. It might make for some good basketball matchups, but, again, most Kansans wouldn’t be able to travel to away games.

And what about our pride in representing the center of the nation? What about the opportunity members of the Big 12 have from time to time to prove that not everything good or important happens on the East Coast or the West Coast? States in the center of the nation already are becoming marginalized when it comes to the nation’s awareness. The loss of the Big 12 would only contribute to that trend.

We are told by KU officials that they are on top of this situation. Not long ago, representatives of KU and other Big 12 conference schools assured their alumni that the new conference alignment was solid for years to come.

They were mistaken then, as they are today. There is no justification to think the present conference membership is guaranteed for any specific number of years.

KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and KU Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger must consider future possibilities and not be caught again in such a naked and vulnerable position. Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Missouri surely all are thinking of bolting from the Big 12. Where does that leave KU?