Yes. We are the only reason the Big 12 survived, and will probably be the reason the Big 12 eventually dies anyway. Our options now are to keep the Big 12 alive for the next 20 years, or go independant in football, at which point ESPN already owns our TV rights like NBC does for ND. We are not going to go independant, nor did we affect any of the other deals that pump cash to our conference mates.
And lets be honest, every one of your schools would have jumped at this deal as well. We just wanted to start a network. ESPN is the one who came to us and threw all this cash our way. I have no problem at all with ESPN funding improvements we need/want to make to facilities and pumping in academic money at a time where our State is in a budget pinch. This also brings jobs to Austin and increases our exposure out there.