Sept. 5, 2007

Big 12 Chairman of the Board of Directors Harvey Perlman

"All candidates had talents and skills that would serve the conference well. But our comfort with Dan and his vision for what the conference could become was the ultimate factor. The vote was unanimous across the Board."

"Now that we are where we are, we had to look at who was going to continue to move the conference forward and Dan was the person for the job."

Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe

"I have to express gratitude to the board and Kevin Weiberg for bringing me here to the conference. I have come to admire and respect the institutions and people working in this conference. I am excited to spend the rest of my career here leading this conference. "

"We would like to maintain the conference as a premiere conference in the country and in collegiate athletics. There will be a number of things we will be addressing as the landscape of intercollegiate athletics changes."

(On where the league is going)
"It is a young league that had the challenge of coming together but it has done relatively well in comparison to other conferences."

(On support from conference institutions)
"It was very gratifying to work 25 years in this industry, in the fashion of integrity and respect, to have that kind of career and support. It has been very rewarding and gratifying."

(On challenges facing the conference)
"I think we have to have the ongoing success that we've had in the past. We also have to pay attention to student-welfare and doing the best we can by the student-athletes and preparing them with life skills. As well as to enhance and maintain sportsmanship, making sure to conduct our institutions with compliance to rules. We have to monitor the evolving technology and monitor whether we are on the front edge of that."

(On previous Commissioner experience)
"The Ohio Valley prepared me by working with Presidents and Chancellors directly. It set a very clear action to take what you can learn from the Board of Directors who focus on higher education and not just collegiate athletics."

(On having been a student-athlete)
"I think that there is value in having been a student-athlete and it has helped form me as a person. It also give me more credibility with coaches and others."

(On being Director of Enforcement at NCAA)
"It's carried on from my days as an investigator at different locations across the country. I was placed in various environments and tough situations."